[Malaysian Recipes] Laksa Noodle Soup (2024)

You can’t just dump laksa paste into coconut milk!!

My Japanese mother will disown me for saying this, but I am pretty sure that Laksa would be my Last Meal.

She will also be able to attest to my obsession with Laksa. Because approximately once a month, I trek wide and far as required to get my Laksa fix. I have been known to drive an hour to a place called Temasek in Parramatta which I think has one the best Laksas in Sydney

Let me put that another way. I drive a 2 hour round trip for a bowl of Laksa that takes 15 minutes to consume and I’m booted out of my seat the minute I finish slurping the soup. This place is in hot demand!

What is Laksa?

Laksa is a spicy noodle soup from Malaysia, also found in other South East Asian counties including Singapore and Indonesia.

Laksa as we know it here in Australia is made with a coconut broth that is spicy and fragrant. However, there are actually quite a few different types of Laksas and those who travel to Malaysia are often surprised to learn that the most popular Laksa has a much stronger curry flavour and is not made with a coconut broth.

So the coconut broth Laksa that is so wildly popular here in Australia is actually not widely available in Malaysia. Nevertheless – doesn’t it look ridiculously delicious??

If the jar instructions says to dump paste into coconut milk – ignore it. Follow my recipe!

Making a Laksa from scratch requires speciality ingredients such as dried shrimp, dried shrimp paste, candlenuts and galangal. I’ve only made it a handful of times. And it’s always a big occasion when I do – I make a big deal of it. “I made that from scratch”, I’ll say smugly, repeatedly.

Today, I’m sharing a Laksa recipe that starts with a store bought Laksa paste. If you’ve ever tried to make laksa at home using a store bought paste and just added that to coconut milk like it says to do on the jar, you’ve probably been sorely disappointed with the outcome.

That’s because like all curries (red curry, green curry), Laksa paste benefits greatly from some freshening up. Just a bit of garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilli sautéed before adding the store bought paste will take this Laksa from meh to mind blowingly delicious!

Best Laksa paste

The best (Asian stores only) – Por Kwan Laksa Paste (A$2.80). At the time of writing, is still only sold at Asian grocery stores. It has more depth of flavour than other brands, the proper Malaysian “funk” that is so addictive about Laksa.

Very good (supermarkets) – Ayam Laksa Paste (Woolworths, Coles ). It’s actually quite good nowadays. I’d happily use it for a Laksa fix if I can’t get to an Asian store.
Avoid – Valcom, the other mainstream brand sold in supermarkets. Remains a no-go zone for me (way, WAY too sweet and westernised)

What’s in Laksa?

For me, the crowning glory of Laksa is the spicy coconut broth. I want it on tap. I could happily drink it every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.''

Here’s what you need for the Laksa broth. What we’re doing here is making a semi-homemade chicken broth by cooking drumsticks (or other bone in, skin on chicken) in chicken broth/stock to inject extra flavour and richness.

And here’s what goes ON and IN Laksa. Just a note on a couple of things:
Noodles – The common noodles found in Laksa is vermicelli noodles (thin white noodles). However, “serious” laksa joints serve laksa with both vermicelli and Hokkien Noodles. Hokkien Noodles are optional – I only use it when making laksa for company.
Fried Tofu Puffs – these are fried tofu pieces. They’re spongey, don’t taste of much and they look weird, but they’re an essential part of the Laksa eating experience!

It’s not the end of the world if you can’t find them….but you’ll miss that glorious moment when you bite into a tofu puff and the laksa soup squirts into your mouth ***and her knees go weak at the thought….***

Laksa Noodle Soup

Ingredients

CHICKEN STOCK
▢ 2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock / broth
▢ 1 cup (250 ml) water
▢ 3 chicken drumsticks (Note 1)

LAKSA BROTH
▢ 1 1/2 tbsp oil
▢ 2 garlic cloves , minced
▢ 2 cm / 4/5" piece of ginger , finely grated
▢ 1 lemongrass , white part grated, (Note 2)
▢ 2 birds eye chillis , finely chopped (Note 3)
▢ 1/2 cup (175g) laksa paste (Note 4)
▢ 400g / 14 oz can coconut milk (Note 5)
▢ 2 tsp fish sauce (sub soy)

NOODLES + TOPPINGS
▢ 50g / 1.5 oz vermicelli noodles , dried
▢ 100g / 3.5oz hokkien noodles (optional, Note 6)
▢ 80g / 2.5 oz bean sprouts
▢ 80g / 2.5 oz tofu puffs , cut in half (Note 7)

LAKSA CHILLI SAUCE (NOTE 8)
▢ 1/2 tsp sugar , white
▢ 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce , light or all purpose
▢ 1/2 garlic clove , minced
▢ 1 1/2 tsp Laksa paste (Note 4)
▢ 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce , or other chilli sauce
▢ 1 tbsp chilli paste from jar , or more Sriracha
▢ 1 tbsp vegetable oil (any plain oil)

GARNISHES
▢ Fresh coriander / cilantro (recommended)
▢ Lime wedges (recommended)
▢ Crispy fried shallots , optional (Note 8)
▢ Finely sliced red chilli , optional

Instructions

CHICKEN STOCK

ASSEMBLE LAKSA