- Gluten free
- Lactose free
- Dairy free
- Egg free
- Wheat free
- Sesame free
- Soy free
- High in dietary fibre
- High in protein
Tuck into this rich and fragrant bowl of prawn curry laksa for a warming noodle soup, perfect for lunch or dinner on cooler days and nights.
- Serves4
- Cook time20 minutes
- Prep time20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tsp peanut oil
- 5 cups (1.25L) salt-reduced chicken stock
- 400ml can coconut milk
- 200g rice stick noodles
- 2 tbs lime juice
- 1 tbs fish sauce
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 20 medium peeled raw prawns
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup (80g) bean sprouts
- 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
- Coriander leaves, to serve
- Mint leaves, to serve
- Lime wedges, to serve
- Laksa paste
- 2-4 small red chillies, seeded (optional), chopped
- 2 dried red chillies, soaked in boiling water, chopped
- 1/4 cup (35g) roasted cashews or macadamias, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbs finely chopped coriander roots and stems
- 1 tbs finely grated galangal or ginger
- 1 lemongrass stem, pale section only, chopped
- 1 tbs fish sauce
- 1 tbs ground cumin
- 1 tbs ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
Nutritional information
Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.
Percentage Daily Intake information on our recipes is calculated using the nutrition reference values for an average Australian adult.
Method
Step 1
To make the laksa paste, place the chillies, cashews, garlic, shallot, coriander roots and stems, galangal or ginger, lemongrass, fish sauce, cumin, ground coriander and ground turmeric in a small food processor. Process until mixture is smooth and well combined.
Step 2
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the laksa paste and cook, stirring, for 1 min or until aromatic. Add the stock and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 mins to infuse flavours.
Step 3
Meanwhile, place noodles in a large heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 5 mins or until just tender. Drain well and divide among serving bowls.
Step 4
Add the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar to the coconut mixture. Bring to a simmer. Add prawns and simmer for 4-5 mins or until prawns change colour and curl.
Step 5
Ladle soup and prawns over the noodles. Top with spring onion, bean sprouts and chilli. Serve with coriander, mint and lime wedges.
Recipe tip
Halved soft boiled eggs or some steamed Asian greens would make a great addition to this dish.
COOK. STORE. SAVE.
Clever storage: Keep any leftover curry laksa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, separate from the noodles.
Curry laksa recipe
On a cool day or night, a warming bowl of prawn curry laksa is the perfect dish to serve. Originating from Malaysia and found in other South-East Asian countries like Singapore and Indonesia, this punchy soup, sometimes referred to as ‘curry mee’, gets its flavours from the homemade laksa paste and its salty-sweetness from prawns. Laksas come in many forms and flavours depending on the region. Curry laksa is distinguished from the use of coconut milk, while other laksas like Assam laksa feature a sour and spicy tamarind-based broth, Ipoh laksa has a thinner, clearer broth, while a Nyonya curry uses fragrant belachan (dried shrimp paste) in the laksa paste.
How to make a laksa curry paste from scratch
If you’ve never made a curry paste from scratch, it’s simpler than it sounds. To make it even easier, you’ll need a food processor – just throw all the ingredients in and blitz. Using a food processor means everything comes together very quickly and leaves you with a rich, creamy paste. You can also use a mortar and pestle if you don’t have a food processor. To help form an even consistency, chop any larger ingredients like the chillies, nuts, garlic, ginger and lemongrass into smaller pieces. Depending on the size of the food processor, you may need to scrape down the sides to ensure everything is blended. To adjust the level of spice of your laksa curry, you can add or remove the number of chillies and chilli seeds used.
Seafood curry laksa: A flavoursome noodle soup
While the laksa paste is arguably the most important component to make the best curry laksa, ensure you cook the laksa paste in oil for a few minutes until aromatic. Add chicken stock and coconut milk to the saucepan and let it simmer for 10 minutes to infuse all the flavours and for a creamy consistency. To prepare the rice stick noodles, let them sit in a bowl of boiling water for just 5 minutes. You don’t want to cook the noodles any longer, as they can turn mushy and soft if overcooked. You may find other laksa recipes using noodles, such as vermicelli, glass noodles or even egg noodles. Top with prawns, fresh herbs, bean sprouts and lime wedges, and you’re ready to serve and enjoy.
Love this recipe?
If you’re in the mood for more recipes like our curry laksa soup, try our speedy 15-minute chicken and pumpkin laksa, this meat-free veggie laksa soup with ginger tofu, or Michael Weldon’s mum’s laksa.
FAQs
Curry laksa
- Serves4
- Cook time20 minutes
- Prep time20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tsp peanut oil
- 5 cups (1.25L) salt-reduced chicken stock
- 400ml can coconut milk
- 200g rice stick noodles
- 2 tbs lime juice
- 1 tbs fish sauce
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 20 medium peeled raw prawns
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup (80g) bean sprouts
- 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
- Coriander leaves, to serve
- Mint leaves, to serve
- Lime wedges, to serve
- Laksa paste
- 2-4 small red chillies, seeded (optional), chopped
- 2 dried red chillies, soaked in boiling water, chopped
- 1/4 cup (35g) roasted cashews or macadamias, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbs finely chopped coriander roots and stems
- 1 tbs finely grated galangal or ginger
- 1 lemongrass stem, pale section only, chopped
- 1 tbs fish sauce
- 1 tbs ground cumin
- 1 tbs ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
Description
Tuck into this rich and fragrant bowl of prawn curry laksa for a warming noodle soup, perfect for lunch or dinner on cooler days and nights.
Method
Step 1
To make the laksa paste, place the chillies, cashews, garlic, shallot, coriander roots and stems, galangal or ginger, lemongrass, fish sauce, cumin, ground coriander and ground turmeric in a small food processor. Process until mixture is smooth and well combined.
Step 2
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the laksa paste and cook, stirring, for 1 min or until aromatic. Add the stock and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 mins to infuse flavours.
Step 3
Meanwhile, place noodles in a large heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 5 mins or until just tender. Drain well and divide among serving bowls.
Step 4
Add the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar to the coconut mixture. Bring to a simmer. Add prawns and simmer for 4-5 mins or until prawns change colour and curl.
Step 5
Ladle soup and prawns over the noodles. Top with spring onion, bean sprouts and chilli. Serve with coriander, mint and lime wedges.