Singapore Laksa

What Is Laksa?

There are few things in the world that bring me as much joy and comfort as a well-made bowl of Singapore Laksa. From the first whiff of its rich aroma to the last, satisfying slurp of noodles, this dish is a dish that I cherish each and every time I have the privilege of enjoying it. Above all, the heat of the spice is perfectly offset by the creamy coconut milk. Meanwhile, the delicate seafood flavours dance across my palate, tantalizing my taste buds with each bite.

But it’s not just the taste of this dish that I love; it also holds a special place in my heart because it reminds me of childhood memories in my mother’s kitchen. Appreciating the beauty of food, it can truly transport us to another time and place. This unique ability enriches our experience, while nourishing and satisfying us in the present. And for that reason, Singapore Laksa will always be a beloved comfort food for me and my family.

The History Of Laksa

This spicy noodle soup is a must-try dish for foodies around the world. Renowned as a Southeast Asian delicacy, it is known for its amazing aroma and flavours that make your taste buds dance with joy. Given its incredible taste and popularity, it’s no wonder that there’s a debate about the origin of this dish. Regardless of who made it first, what matters most is how much we all love it!

Specifically, Singapore’s variant, known as Katong or Curry Laksa, has made a significant contribution to the Laksa scene. Notably, Katong Laksa is now a landmark in Singapore’s culinary history, with the first hawker selling it in the area during the 1960s. Ever since then, it has been a well-loved dish among Singaporeans and the rest of the world. Beyond its popularity, Laksa’s rich history and diverse adaptations make it a culinary treasure that should not be missed. Most importantly, be sure to try it wherever you go in Southeast Asia and beyond!

Making It From Scratch

When making this dish from scratch, there are three key elements you’ll want to keep in mind to achieve that perfect balance of flavours. Firstly, there’s the rempah, a tasty blend of spices that includes turmeric, ginger, lemongrass, garlic, and chilies. Moving on, we’ve got the prawn stock, which adds a rich umami flavor to the soup base. Last but not least, there’s the sambal, a fiery chili paste that’ll give your dish just the right amount of heat. By combining these three essential components, you’ll be well on your way to experiencing the amazing flavours of a truly authentic bowl of laksa. So, let’s get cooking and taste the adventure!

Singapore Laksa Recipe

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine singaporean

Servings 10

Calories 698 kcal

Ingredients

  

Rempah (Spice Paste)

• 270 g shallots peeled and halved
• 6 garlic cloves peeled and halved
• 15 dried red chillies deseeded and soaked in hot water until softened
• 4 Thai red chilli deseeded
• 70 g belacan shrimp paste, roasted
• 80 g dried shrimp soaked
• 85 g lemongrass stalks bruise with back of knife and then slice the bottom third into rings
• 85 g ginger peeled and thickly sliced
• 80 g galangal
• 25 g tumeric root
• 25 g candle nuts or cashews
• 20 g coriander seeds toasted and ground in a spice grinder
• 70 g Red chilli powder Baba’s red chilli powder
• 80 ml canola oil

Prawn Stock

• 60 ml canola oil
• prawn shells and heads
• 3 L water
• 800 ml chicken stock

Laksa Soup

• 3 pandan leaves shredded and knotted
• 50 g laksa leaves cut into thin strips
• 800 ml coconut milk full fat
• 1.5 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp salt or to taste
• 200 g deep fried tofu sliced
• 100 g fish balls
• 600 g prawns peeled and deveined
• 600 g guangdong style lai fen noodles
• 500 g fresh Shanghai yellow noodles or dried yellow noodles

Garnish

• 0.75 cucumber julienned
• 1.5 lime wedges
• 400 g bean sprouts
• 5 hard boiled eggs halved
• 400 g fish cake pan fried and then thinly sliced
• sambal or chilli paste to taste optional

Instructions

 

Rempah (Spice Paste)

• Boil dried red chillies in a pot until softened. Remove chillies and let them cool. Once cool deseed dried and fresh red chillies.
• Toast the belacan in a pan for a few minutes.
• Grind all rempah ingredients (except oil) in a motar and pestle or food processor until as fine as possible.
• Heat a pot on medium. Once hot, heat oil in the pot.
• Add rempah to the pot and fry the paste on low heat until aromatic and until the rempah darkens and oil separates from the rempah (approximately 15-20 minutes).
• Remove rempah and cool, keep tossing rempah to avoid burning.

Prawn Stock

• Peel prawn shells and heads and set aside.
• Using the same pot, heat oil on medium high. Add the prawn shells and heads to the wok and sauté prawn shells and heads until fragrant (approximately 10 minutes).
• Add the water. Let the prawn stock simmer for 1 hour.
• Strain prawn shells and heads from the prawn stock and discard the shells and heads. Add prawn stock back into the clean pot.

Laksa Soup

• Add the rempah paste and the chicken stock to the prawn stock slowly. Add the pandan leaves, laksa leaves (save some laksa leaves for garnish), coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce and salt. Bring to a boil.
• Add the prawns, deep fried tofu, fish cake and fish balls to the soup. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Garnish

• Cook the beehoon and fresh yellow noodles until el dente.
• Add noodles and garnish into a bowl and ladle soup overtop. Garnish with some laksa leaves. Bon appetite!

Keyword Noodles, Seafood, Spicy

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