Simply Sensational Laksa

laksaLaksa is a popular spicy soup, from Peranakan cuisine, which is a combination of Chinese and Malay styles. The most popular in our part of the world is curry laksa – a coconut milk curry soup with noodles.

Thick rice noodles also known as laksa noodles are most commonly used, but the recipe below is more of a fusion, using Japanese udon noodle.

A good laksa has a tasty balance of spicy, sweet, sour and salty flavours.

The following is fast, delicious and a great place to start, if you haven’t tried a laksa before.

You will need:

1 large single chicken breast, skin removed and sliced thinly

1 cup raw prawns (frozen is fine)

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

2 tsp sweet chilli sauce

100g green beans

1 tsp ground coriander

1 can coconut milk

1 tbsp fish sauce

750 ml chicken stock

300g udon noodles

salt and pepper

light flavoured vegetable oil

Method:

Heat a deep pan with a little oil and lightly brown the chicken. Remove and set aside. Add garlic, ginger, chilli sauce, beans and stir fry for a minute. Mix in coriander, coconut milk, fish sauce, stock and chicken. Bring to a simmer. Add prawns and noodles, then season. Once the prawns change from green to pink, garnish with fresh coriander and chilli and serve.