Laksa paste is a blend of lemongrass, dried chilies, shallots, galanga, turmeric, spices, dried shrimp and shrimp paste, all blended up in the food processor, then sautéed in a little oil to deepen the flavor. An incredibly rich, fragrant, complex flavoured broth loaded with all the essential classic toppings. In contrast, our homemade paste contains nothing but wholesome, fresh, incredibly flavorful ingredients. Rich with coconut milk and salty with shrimp, with a pinch of hot chilli on top, it’s as good on a hot summer’s afternoon as it is in the depths of winter, and not half as much work as it looks, I promise. Savita Saturday, December 9, 2017 Hi Anjali, I have the recipe but I never thought to share on the black g.

That’s because like all curries ( red curry, green curry), Laksa paste benefits greatly from some freshening up. This fragrant paste from Yeo’s is made with coconut, lemongrass, chilli and ginger for the distinctive Singaporean version of laksa curry.While they are steeping, chop up the rest of the Laksa paste ingredients- shallot, lemongrass, garlic, turmeric, and galanga, and place them in a food processor. Best supermarket brand is Ayam Laksa paste available at Woolworths and Coles in Australia, but it is a bit sweeter than Por Kwan – balance it out with a bit more fish sauce or a squeeze of lime juice. Make Laksa Paste : To make paste, in food processor jar, add soaked chilies (discard water in which these were soaked), and all ingredients from the Laksa Paste ingredient list above.

Malaysian chef Norman Musa uses sweeter aromatics such as star anise and cinnamon along with the coriander seeds and turmeric found in Tan’s version, as well as that from Mandy Yin, the Kuala-Lumpur-born chef at my favourite laksa joint, north London’s Sambal Shiok. Refresh the beansprouts and beans in cold water immediately after taking out of the boiling water (to stop them cooking in the residual heat), then drain.You’ll need to get big prawns for this, unless you do better than me at finding smaller raw ones with their shells still on, and I’d shell them and blanch the meat separately, rather than simmering them whole for half an hour as some recipes do – it makes them very tough and woolly.

I followed the recipe to the letter except I used laksa leaves (AKA Vietnamese mint) inst ead of coriander as a garnish. Laksa originated from the Peranakan people, which refers to people who are of mixed Chinese-Malay/Indonesian heritage. To mimic that seafoody taste, I’ve ground up some nori sheets, which adds a subtle taste of the ocean to my paste and I am really pleased with the outcome.

Top with the tofu and prawn balls (or whole prawns), shredded cucumber and a little fresh coriander. It may not be reproduced in any way whatsoever without the prior consent of Waitrose Limited nor without due acknowledgement. Remove the chillies and dried shrimp from the water (it doesn’t matter if you don’t drain them completely as some water is fine).