Malaysian / Singaporean · Soup · Medium
Laksa
Rome's most famous pasta. Silky egg and Pecorino sauce clinging to every strand, studded with crisp guanciale. No cream, ever.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Laksa, in 5 ideas
- Coconut milk splits if boiled hard. Keep it at a gentle simmer for a silky, unified broth.
- Rinse the noodles cold. It stops the cooking and keeps them from turning to mush in the hot soup.
- Lime at the table. The squeeze of acid at the end lifts the whole rich bowl. Do not skip it.
- Bean sprouts stay crunchy. They go on top, never in the pot. The hot broth softens them just enough.
- Taste before serving. Laksa paste brands vary wildly in salt and heat. Fish sauce and sugar bring it into balance.
What you need
Ingredients
- 8 oz dried rice noodles
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp laksa paste (store bought)
- 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Fresh cilantro, for serving
How to make it
Directions
- Cook the rice noodles according to the package. Rinse under cold water and divide among 4 deep bowls.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the laksa paste and fry 2 minutes, stirring, until deeply fragrant and darkened.
- Pour in the coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
- Stir in the fish sauce and sugar. Taste. It should be spicy, rich, and a little tangy.
- Add the shrimp and simmer 3 minutes, until pink and just cooked.
- Ladle the hot soup over the noodles in the bowls.
- Top each bowl with bean sprouts, half an egg, cilantro, and a lime wedge on the side.
Fry the paste first. Two minutes in hot oil until it darkens and smells incredible. That bloom is the soul of the soup.