Malaysian. Main. Served at Daun Pisang (#4).

Curry laksa

Laksa lemak

Laksa is the bowl I order first whenever I land in Malaysia, ideally on a day that's too hot for it.

Three rules: use galangal, not ginger; never boil the broth after the coconut goes in; and never cook the vermicelli in the broth.

Prawn-head stock is better than plain chicken stock if you can manage it. Fry the shells until red and simmer them 20 to 30 minutes.

Makes
Makes 12 bowls
Do ahead
Make the paste and stock up to three days ahead, with no coconut. Add the coconut and tofu puffs the day before. Assemble the day you eat.

Ingredients

Scale

Rempah

  • 25–30Kashmiri dried red chilies, soaked 20 min, deseeded. Start at 25
  • 24 (~450g)shallots
  • 12–18garlic cloves
  • 3"galangal
  • 3"fresh turmeric (or 3 tsp ground)
  • 6 stalkslemongrass, bottom 4", sliced
  • 12candlenuts or macadamia
  • 3 tbspbottled shrimp paste in soya bean oil
  • 6–9 tbspdried shrimp, soaked
  • 3 tbspcoriander seeds, toasted and ground
  • 1 tbspcumin seeds, toasted and ground
  • 1–1.5 cupsneutral oil

Broth

  • 3 quarts (12 cups)prawn or chicken stock
  • 6 cups (3 cans)full-fat coconut milk
  • 3 tsppalm sugar
  • Fish sauce, salt
  • 2–3 tsptamarind concentrate in 1 tbsp warm water
  • 24tofu puffs (tau pok), halved and scalded

Toppings

  • 1.5–2 lbdried rice vermicelli (2–3 oz a bowl)
  • 24–36large shrimp, peeled (2–3 a bowl)
  • 1 largefish cake (2–3 slices a bowl)
  • 6 cups (~1 lb)bean sprouts (½ cup a bowl)
  • 6hard-boiled eggs, optional (½ a bowl)

Garnish

  • 12 tbspfried shallots
  • Sliced Fresno chili
  • 12lime wedges
  • A big bunchdaun kesum / Vietnamese mint
  • Sambal on the side

Method

  1. Blend the rempah completely smooth.
  2. Fry it in the oil on medium-low for 20 to 30 minutes, until pecah minyak. Don't rush it.
  3. Add the stock and simmer 20 minutes.
  4. Season with fish sauce, palm sugar, salt, and tamarind, then cool it and refrigerate. Don't add the coconut yet.
  5. The day before, reheat gently. Scald the tofu puffs in boiling water to degrease them, then add them.
  6. Add the coconut milk and stir. Never a hard boil.
  7. Season it boldly, because the toppings dilute it. Cool and refrigerate.
  8. On the day, soak the vermicelli in cold water for 30 minutes.
  9. Reheat the broth on medium-low. If it separates, whisk it.
  10. Poach the shrimp in the broth 2 to 3 minutes and hold them.
  11. Set up a separate blanching pot for the noodles and sprouts.
  12. For each bowl, blanch a portion of vermicelli 30 to 60 seconds and drain it into the bowl.
  13. Add bean sprouts, 2 to 3 tofu puff halves, fish cake, and shrimp.
  14. Ladle hot broth over.
  15. Top with fried shallots, chili, lime, and daun kesum, and serve sambal on the side.