Curry Laksa
Spicy coconut curry noodle soup with shrimp, tofu puffs, and bean sprouts — a Peranakan/Nyonya dish claimed by both Malaysia and Singapore, whose Straits Chinese communities share this heritage.
MeatSeafood
⚠ Contains: Gluten, Soy, Shellfish, Fish, Egg. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
How this varies: Malaysia's laksas are not one dish. Curry laksa (this recipe) is a Peranakan coconut-curry noodle soup from Melaka/Johor. Penang's asam laksa is a completely different animal — a sour, spicy broth built from flaked mackerel and tamarind, no coconut milk at all. Sarawak laksa sits in between: no curry powder, a sambal-belacan and tamarind base lightly enriched with coconut milk. Swapping ingredients between them isn't a regional variant, it's just a different dish.
Ingredients
- 8 dried chilies, soaked, plus 2 fresh red chilies
- 6 shallots, 4 cloves garlic, 3 candlenuts, 2cm galangal, 2cm turmeric (or 1 tsp ground turmeric), 2 stalks lemongrass (white part), 1 tbsp dried shrimp (soaked), 1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste) — for the spice paste
- 3 tbsp oil
- 400ml coconut milk
- 3 cups chicken or prawn stock (ideally simmered from prawn heads/shells)
- 200g shrimp, shell-on preferred
- 150g fish or tofu puffs
- 200g thick rice vermicelli (laksa noodles), or a mix with yellow egg noodles
- 1 cup bean sprouts, blanched
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
- Salt and sugar, to taste
- A handful of daun kesum (laksa leaf/Vietnamese mint), torn
- Sambal belacan or chili oil, lime wedges, and cilantro to serve
Steps
- Blend the dried and fresh chilies, shallots, garlic, candlenuts, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, dried shrimp, and belacan into a fine paste.
- Heat oil and fry the paste over medium-low heat, stirring often, until fragrant and the oil separates — this takes 8-10 minutes; don't rush it or the paste tastes raw and harsh.
- Add stock and bring to a simmer, then stir in the coconut milk. Season with salt and sugar to taste. Keep at a gentle simmer once coconut milk is added — a hard boil can cause it to split.
- Add tofu puffs, simmer 10 minutes.
- Add shrimp, cook until pink.
- Divide blanched noodles into bowls. Ladle the hot soup and shrimp over, then top with bean sprouts, halved boiled egg, torn daun kesum, and cilantro. Serve with sambal belacan and lime wedges.