Creamy Seafood Laksa Recipe: Authentic Malaysian Coconut Noodle Soup

Laksa Paste:

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 4 red chillies, roughly chopped (use Thai chillies for extra heat)
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tsp lemongrass paste
• 1 heaped tbsp fresh coriander stalks (save leaves for garnish)
• 1.5 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp tamarind paste

Soup:

• 200 ml full-fat coconut milk
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 200 ml chicken or seafood stock
• 2 cod or haddock fillets (about 140g/5oz each), skin removed
• 200 g dried rice/vermicelli noodles (or 300–400g ready-cooked)
• 12–16 king prawns, peeled and deveined
• 200 g beansprouts (mung)

Garnish:

• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp caster (superfine) sugar
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 finger-sized piece cucumber, finely chopped
• ¼ small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• Small handful chopped coriander (cilantro)

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
• Add the remaining laksa paste ingredients to the pan. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing burns.
• While the paste cooks, prepare the garnish: combine the rice wine vinegar, sugar, chopped chilli, cucumber, red onion and chopped coriander in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the onion-chilli-spice mix to a mini chopper or food processor. Blend to a smooth paste. (Alternatively, use a stick blender in the pan—take care to avoid splashes.)
• Return the paste to the frying pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the coconut milk, fish sauce and stock. Stir and heat through until just simmering.
• Add the white fish to the pan, stir gently and cook for about 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the fish starts to flake.
• While the fish cooks, soak the dried noodles in boiling water until soft (about 3 minutes), then drain.
• Add the prawns to the laksa, stir and cook for 1 minute until they start to turn pink and the fish is cooked through.
• Stir in the beansprouts and cook for a further minute so they’re warmed but still slightly crisp. Turn off the heat.
• Divide the drained noodles among bowls and ladle the laksa and seafood over the top.
• Top each bowl with a spoonful of the prepared garnish and serve immediately.

Note 1 – Laksa paste: Store-bought laksa paste is a convenient shortcut—strength varies, so follow the jar instructions for four portions.

Chicken laksa: Replace the fish and prawns with cooked shredded chicken, or add raw chicken pieces to the paste and cook until sealed before adding coconut milk and stock. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

Freezing: Noodles, seafood and beansprouts don’t freeze well. For make-ahead convenience, freeze the paste in portions and defrost before continuing from the point you add the paste back to the pan. Make the garnish fresh on the day.

Low-fat option: Low-fat coconut milk can split more easily. If using it, add it at the end of cooking and heat gently—don’t let it boil.

Make ahead for lunch: Prepare the soup up to just before adding beansprouts, cool and refrigerate. Reheat the sauce briefly, add beansprouts for a minute and pour over pre-cooked noodles.

Nutrition