Laksa!

shrimp laksa topped with cilantro, coriander

radish sprouts and crispy shallots

Tonight I made laksa, because I was craving it. It has a lot of ingredients, but it is a fairly easy dish to make--a spicy noodle soup (usually found in Malaysia and Indonesia). This version uses items that should be fairly easy to find. I simplified things while trying to still get that delicious sour/spicy/savory laksa flavor.

You will need:

1.5 tbs red curry paste (or preferably laksa paste, if you can find it at the market)
2 tsp tamarind paste
2 tsp vegetable oil
3 cups vegetable stock
10 oz. coconut milk (you can use lowfat if you want to cut the calories)
1 tbs chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup diced onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 jalapeno, sliced
1 bunch each of fresh coriander and fresh cilantro
radish or bean sprouts

8 oz dried flat wide rice noodles

1 pound raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (Note: you can leave the tails on or take them off--I like to leave them on because it adds extra flavor, but you can remove the tails beforehand to make things easier on your diners). 

I also added mushrooms because I like them-- I used shimeji or Beach mushrooms. 

Optional: fish balls, puffed tofu, or any other product you'd like to add.

Saute the onion, jalapeno and ginger in the vegetable oil until slightly soft. Add the garlic and the curry paste and reduce the heat, cooking for about 3 minutes more. Add the tamarind paste. Add the coconut milk slowly, and then add the stock, fish sauce, sugar and soy sauce. Whisk together and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the broth at this point if you want to add mushrooms. While it is simmering, soak your rice noodles in boiling water for about 7 minutes. Drain the noodles and shock them in cold water, then set them aside. Add the shrimp to the broth (and add fishballs if you are choosing to use them) and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. To serve, put the noodles in a bowl and spoon the soup over it. Top with the sprouts, cilantro and coriander leaves, and a spritz of lime juice if you want a little extra acid.