Ingredients
Serves 4
Laksa Paste (I use a purchased paste. There are many good ones around. Follow their directions on the quantity to use as strengths very greatly. (You can make your own - tastes great but very time consuming!)
1 tbsp peanut oil
Coconut Milk, 400gr tin (low fat if you like)
500ml Chicken stock
2 x chicken breasts or 4 chicken thigh fillets, sliced finely
1 small container Asian barbecue pork (available at Asian Barbecue shops/restaurants)
400g medium green king prawns, peeled
200g glass noodles
250g hokkien noodles
1 packet bean curd puffs
100g bean sprouts
1 small head of bok choy, shredded
2/3 loosely packed fresh Asian herbs (i.e. Vietnamese mint leaves, holy basil, mint)
2 tbsp fried shallots (for garnish)
Method
Heat some oil in a deep saucepan or wok over a medium-high heat. Add Laksa paste and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes or until spices begin to smell fragrant. Stir in coconut milk and stock and bring almost to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered for about 5 minutes
Add chicken and cook, stirring for 2 minutes, add prawns and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until prawns start changing colour.
While you are doing this put the noodles in separate heatproof bowls and cover with boiling water, put aside for 2-5 mins to soften. Drain well.
Put out 4 deep soup bowls. Divide noodles, bean curd puffs, pork, bean shoots and herbs evenly between each bowl. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken and prawns from soup and also divide these evenly. Finally, ladle the stock into the bowls and garnish with fried shallots.
Serve with Roti bread for dunking and chopsticks and a soupspoon.
Notes: This is one of my favourite soups and is absolutely a meal in itself. I love it because it is so easy and quick to make. Although most of the hard work has been done for you (ie paste, pork, bean curd), your friends will be so impressed because you really seem to have made it yourself! Some people may show restraint and only use chicken/pork/prawns, but I like to throw them all in.
Some recipes also include squid, hard-boiled eggs, and Asian vegies to name a few. You can experiment and add your favourites or leave certain ingredients out. You can also add chilli to bring it to your desired heat.