Recipe: Malaysian Curry Laksa (Kari Laksa Nyonya) (2024)

For the chicken and prawns:

• 2

  boneless chicken thighs, skin on

• 1/4 teaspoon

  salt

• 1 1/2 cups

  water

• 1/2

  lemongrass stalk, bashed

• 8 ounces

  shelled raw tiger prawns

• 5 cups

  water

• Laksa paste (recipe below)

• 1 cup

  coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon

  chicken stock powder

• 1 tablespoon

  salt, plus extra to taste

• 6 pieces

  bean curd puff, cut in half

• 4 ounces

  dried rice vermicelli

• 2 ounces

  bean sprouts

• 1 (14-ounce) pack

  fresh Asian yellow noodles

For the garnish:

• 1 bunch

  mint leaves

• 2

  medium free-range eggs, soft- or hard-boiled, peeled, and halved

• 4

  lime wedges

• 4 teaspoons

  Shrimp chili oil (recipe below)

• Crispy shallots, to serve

1. Rub the chicken thighs with the salt and set aside for at least 20 minutes at room temperature.

2. Place the chicken in a saucepan, cover with the water, add the salt and lemongrass, bring to a simmer, and poach over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool, then cut the meat into strips, discarding the skin. Poach the prawns for 2 to 3 minutes in the same poaching liquid. Once they are cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside. Instead of just using water, you can use the poaching liquid to make the laksa broth – just top it up with water until it reaches 5 cups and discard the lemongrass stalk.

3. Bring the water or poaching liquid, laksa paste, coconut milk, chicken stock powder, and salt to a boil. Add the bean curd puff and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and add salt to taste.

4. Place the rice vermicelli and bean sprouts in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, and leave to soak for 5 minutes, then add the fresh yellow noodles to the bowl and leave them for 3 minutes. Drain the vermicelli, bean sprouts, and noodles and divide them among 4 serving bowls.

5. Arrange slices of chicken, the prawns, a few mint leaves, and the halved eggs on top of the noodles.

6. Strain the laksa broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or jug and remove the bean curd puffs. Place 3 slices of puff on top of each bowl of noodles. Make sure that the broth is still piping hot (heat it again if not) and pour the broth over the noodles.

7. Serve with lime wedges, shrimp chili oil, and a sprinkling of crispy shallots.

• 8

  dried red Kashmiri chilies

• 3 tablespoons

  dried shrimp

• 4

  small shallots, roughly chopped

• 4

  lemongrass stalks (tender base only), roughly chopped

• 1

  (2-inch) knob galangal, peeled and roughly chopped (if you can’t find any, use additional ginger)

• 1

  (2-inch) knob fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• 4 cloves

  garlic

• 1 tablespoon

  turmeric

• 2 tablespoons

  shrimp paste (belacan)

• 6

  candlenuts or macadamia nuts

• 2 tablespoons

  vegetable oil, plus 5 tablespoons for frying the paste

1. Bring some water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the dried chilies and boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Leave the chilies to sit in the hot water for at least 15 minutes to soften while you prepare the other ingredients for the spice paste.

2. Place the dried shrimp in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, and leave to rehydrate for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Once the dried chilies have softened, drain and split them lengthwise. Remove the seeds with the blade of your knife and discard. Cut the seeded chilies in half.

4. Place all of the spice paste ingredients, including the rehydrated chilies and shrimp and the 2 tablespoons oil, in a blender and blitz to make a smooth paste.

5. Heat the 5 tablespoons oil in a wok or heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat and add the paste, using a spatula to make sure you scrape all of the paste out of the blender. Reduce the heat to low and fry the paste for about 15 minutes, stirring with a spatula, until the mixture darkens and the oil separates from the paste (a film of oil will appear at the base of the pan). Your paste is now ready.

• 1 cup

  dried red Kashmiri chilies (1 3/4 ounces)

• 3/4 cup

  dried shrimp

• 1

  medium shallot, roughly chopped

• 1 1/4 cups

  vegetable oil, plus extra for topping up the jars

• 1 tablespoon

  chicken stock powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons

  superfine sugar

1. Bring some water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the dried chilies and boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Leave the chilies to sit in the hot water for at least 15 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, place the dried shrimp in a heatproof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Leave to rehydrate for 5 minutes, then drain and grind coarsely in a blender. Remove and set aside.

2. Once the dried chilies have softened, drain and split them lengthwise. Remove the seeds with the blade of your knife and discard. Cut the seeded chilies in half and add them to the blender. Add the shallot to the blender and blitz – the paste doesn’t need to be too smooth.

3. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat and add the shallot and chili paste. Warm through, then add the shrimp. Fry over medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, until the paste is fragrant and the oil separates from the paste. The color will darken significantly. Add the chicken stock powder and sugar, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Spoon into sterilized jars until three-quarters full and top up the jars with oil. Seal and store in a cool, dark place until ready to use.