Weekly Recipe: Laksa
Posted by Hayley French on
When we first tried laksa at Ossington Avenue's Hawker Bar we became instantly hooked. This curry coconut broth based noodle soup is the ultimate in Singaporean comfort food.We soon discovered a multitude of recipes online and eventually tweaked our favourite enough to create what we like to call the perfect bowl of laksa. Serve with fresh lime, basil, thai basil, and/or cilantro to enhance the already fragrant flavours.
Vegetarian Laksa
INGREDIENTS:
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 to 2 small red chilies
3 stalks lemon grass, white part only, roughly chopped
1 inch length ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, leaves and stems
1 cup loosely packed mint leaves
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 250g package of thin rice noodles
1 can (400 mL) coconut milk
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup of fresh snow peas, chopped
1 cup of fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup of fresh eggplant, chopped
1/2 cup of fresh green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
DIRECTIONS:
1 to 2 small red chilies
3 stalks lemon grass, white part only, roughly chopped
1 inch length ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, leaves and stems
1 cup loosely packed mint leaves
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 250g package of thin rice noodles
1 can (400 mL) coconut milk
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup of fresh snow peas, chopped
1 cup of fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup of fresh eggplant, chopped
1/2 cup of fresh green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
DIRECTIONS:
1 Combine garlic, chilies, lemon grass and ginger in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
2. Add cilantro, basil, mint, ground coriander, and sesame oil. Process until finely chopped and mixture forms a somewhat chunky paste.
3. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and divide between bowls. (This recipe is good for 4 bowls)
4. In a large saucepan, fry herb paste over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant.
5. Add coconut milk and vegetable stock, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add snow peas, broccoli, eggplant, and green pepper and simmer for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
7. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice. Divide broth between bowls.
7. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice. Divide broth between bowls.