He made this during Masterclass last nite on Masterchef, in Kuala Lumpur! I have to say I was impressed. It is made from fresh local ingredients, and I would say more authentic than some. What strucked me most was that he fried up the heads and shells of the prawn to create the stock, something which I never imagined for laksa - yum yum! I can imagine, a real seafood taste in the laksa. So, this is a must try for me.
Vegetable oil for frying
200g firm tofu, cut to 1cm thick slices
Laksa spice paste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
20g piece ginger, chopped
3 fat garlic cloves
2 stalks lemongrass, chopped
75g shallots, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons dried shrimp, rehydrated in boiling water for 5 minutes and drained well
1.5 teaspoons shrimp paste
20g cashew/candle nuts
2 teaspoons fish curry spice
20g fresh turmeric
4 fresh long red finger chillies
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
SoupLaksa spice paste
Prawn stock
400ml coconut milk, fresh if available
1 tablespoon palm sugar
160g chicken breast, cut into 1cm slices
Reserved peeled prawns
2 tablespoons fish sauce
400g fresh egg noodles, loosened
To serve100g bean sprouts
100g cooked fine green beans, halved
3 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal, to serve
A handful of mixed mint and coriander leaves, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve
Sambal oelek, to serve
Peel prawns, reserving the heads and shells. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan, add prawn heads and shells and stir-fry for a couple of minutes until they are crisp and golden.
Add 1 litre of water, bring to the boil, reduce heat and leave to simmer for 30 minutes. Strain liquid into a large jug and discard heads and shells.
Cut tofu into 1cm thick pieces and fry in hot oil until crisp, drain well on a paper towel-lined plate.
For laksa spice paste, place chillies into a mortar and pestle and pound into a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and pound to a smooth paste.
For soup, heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat, add all the spice paste and fry gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously until mixture starts to smell fragrant and split. Add prawn stock, coconut milk and palm sugar and begin to reduce. Add chicken and prawns and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Pour in 1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce and stir to combine.
Drop in the fresh egg noodles and leave to heat through for a few seconds.
Taste Laksa and season with more sugar and fish sauce if desired.
To serve, arrange bean sprouts, cooked green beans, fried tofu and noodles in the bottom of a serving dish. Ladle over curry soup, trying to divide the prawns and chicken pieces equally between each bowl. Garnish with spring onions, mint, coriander and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve with a spoonful of sambal oelek.
Bon Appetite!
