It’s not an authentic laksa I must admit, but it tastes good and comforting. No store-bought laksa paste, all made from scratch, yet, it’s quick to make. Perfect on a chilly and wet day.
I love laksa. But sometimes it’s quite spicy and heavy, don’t you think?
I wanted a bowl of hot soup noodles that is coconut-y, full of flavour, not dominate by chilli, and most importantly — I can make it at home quickly without rushing to buy laksa paste.
So, this soup noodles, not sure what should I call it, but let’s say it’s a twisted laksa. When I longed for laksa but can’t get it, this is a solution.
*I came across Jamie Olive’s cookbook Veg and found a Malaysian-Style veg Noodles, which is similar to what I was looking for, but I made some changes.
Twisted Laksa Cooking Notes
- Veg: The vegetables used here are flexible. I tried to incorporate different colours of vegetables to make them colourful and also better nutrition-wise. I fried the aubergine so as to impact some charred flavour. And I think its tenderness gives a nice contrast to the crunchy sugar snap peas too. But once again, it’s not necessary. Any quickly cooked vegetables will work. Jamie Oliver used potatoes and baby corn.
- Desiccated coconut: Normally, desiccated coconut is not used in laksa, but I find the toasted one is very fragrant, and its crunchiness is a delightful touch.
- Soup: This twisted ‘laksa’ soup is on a thick side. I used 1 tin of full-fat coconut milk and mixed with half a tin of water. If you want a thinner soup, consider adding more water (or stock) to thin out the soup. Alternatively, use light coconut milk for less fat. Carefully pour in water (or stock) to achieve the consistency you like.
- Kaffir lime leaves: Dried is used here but fresh is ideal. Once throw it into the soup to hydrate and release the aroma, have a taste, so to get an idea how much taste it gives. Consider adding more if necessary.
Laksa Soup Noodles Recipe (Quick and Twisted)
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 100 g instant rice noodles
For the Toppings
- 100 g frozen prawns, thawed
- 1 small handful of sugar snap peas
- ½ aubergine, cut into chunks
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp flour or any starch
- ½ carrot, cut into batons or thick slices
For the Soup
- 1 tin (400 g) of full-fat coconut milk
- 200 g water
- 1 banana shallot
- 1 fat clove garlic
- 1 thumb-size ginger
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded, to taste
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp mild curry powder
- 4 dried kaffir lime leaves
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- ½ lime juice
For the Garnish and Accent
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
- fresh coriander leaves
- ½ lime, halved
How to Make
- First, prepare the aubergine. Put the aubergine in a bowl and sprinkle in the salt evenly. Leave it for 15 minutes to draw out the moisture.
- Meanwhile, roast the desiccated coconut in a dry frying pan until it turns golden brown and set aside.
- Then, slice the shallot for later use. Grate the garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Or, finely dice until minced. Alternatively, bash everything in a pestle and mortar. The more you break them up, the more fragrant they are.
- Back to the aubergine. Drain the brownish liquid. Use a kitchen towel to roughly pat dry, to remove water and also the excessive salt.
- Warm a frying pan with 1-2 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Shallow fry the aubergine until golden and set aside.
- Use the same pan but lower the heat, fry the shallots until they take on some colour. Add more oil if necessary. Then add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass mixture along with the red chilli. Cook until they are very fragrant. Season with turmeric and curry powder.
- Pour in the coconut milk, water, fish sauce, lime juice, and add the kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer. Stir in the prawns, carrots and peas, let them cook for at least 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes (or follow the packet’s instructions). Then drain and divide into 2 ramen bowls.
- Back to the soup. If the prawns have changed colour, have a taste of the soup and adjust by gradually adding fish sauce or lime juice, if required. Once the soup has reached a perfect spot, and the prawns and vegetables are cooked, turn off the heat and spoon over the rice noodles. Top with fried aubergine, roasted peanuts, coconut, some fresh coriander leaves and the remaining lime. Serve immediately.
More Easy Soup (and Noodles) Recipe
- Bowl of Goodness: Chickpeas and Noodles Soup
- Scent of Ocean: Prawn and Samphire Miso Soup
- A Sweet and Humble Roots Shine Soup
- Vietnamese Fishcakes with Dill (Simple Ingredients)
- Easy One Pot Asian Prawn Noodle Soup (Super Comforting)
- The Easiest Chinese Soup Noodles
- Easy Bottoms Up Tom Kha Soup Recipe with Shrimp
