Recipe: Laksa

I first had this dish a few years ago from a street food stall in London. I couldn't for the life of me remember its name and only had a vague recollection of it. 32 hours in London with little sleep and I could just about recall the deep fried tofu, creamy coconut and ginger sauce and citrusy hit of lime.

I began hunting for it, looking for a dish that best matched the one I'd enjoyed to no avail. In the end I merged two very easy recipes and came up with my own version of this laksa - a spicy Malaysian noodle soup.

laksa, photo taken by yuri

here's how to make it :

Spice paste

1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 chili - I use a mild red chili
2 inch piece of fresh, peeled ginger sliced thinly
1tsp tumeric
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 lemongrass stalk, sliced and crushed or 1tsp of lemongrass paste
1tsp ground coriander

soup

1 pint of stock - vegetable or chicken are best
1 can of coconut milk
noodles - either egg or rice noodles will work.
firm tofu - dipped in well seasoned flour and fried.
vegetables - I add vegetables depending what I have at home or whats in season. sweetcorn, mange tout, cherry tomatoes, courgette and mushrooms all work well.
Fresh, chopped coriander
Fresh lime juice
handful of chopped mint leaves


Method

First prepare the tofu for frying.  Drain the liquid and set it on a cloth to let the last of the liquid drain.

Gently fry the onion in a little oil until softened adding the garlic, ginger and other spices to create an aromatic paste.

Add the mushrooms and other vegetables and cook for a few minutes before adding the stock and coconut milk.

I bring this to the boil. turn the heat down until its just simmering. then add the noodles (prepared to instructions!) chopped coriander and a squeeze of lime. Take it off the heat, with the lid on.

While waiting for the noodles, coat the drained tofu slices in well seasoned flour and fry in oil until a crispy golden colour. about 3-4 minutes each side.

ladle noodles and sauce into bowls with a fried tofu and chopped mint on top. serve.