Laksa (Noodle Soup - South East Asian Cuisine)

          "Laksa" or "Noodle Soup" is a very popular South East Asian cuisine. It is a signature dish of both Singapore and Malaysia, with a slight difference in the choice of ingredients. It is basically a street food, found at most of the hawker centers. People relish it any time of the day as it is a very satisfying one-pot meal. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

          Laksa is basically a tangy and a spicy soup made out of a paste of shallots, ginger, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, candlenuts, shrimp paste, tamarind paste and dry red chilies. 

         Coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves and chicken stock are also added to give the soup a refreshing and a rich flavour. 

          The gravy is then poured into individual bowls containing boiled noodles. This is then topped with fish balls, prawns, chicken, boiled egg, tofu puffs, bean sprouts or coriander leaves. 

• 10-12 prawns
• 8-10 fish balls
• 1 cup noodles, boiled al dente
• 2 eggs, hard boiled & halved
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1" galangal, chopped
• 1 stalk lemon grass, chopped
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste
• 8-10 whole dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. shrimp paste / 2 tbsp. deep fried shrimp
• 1-2 tbsp. macadamia nuts / peanuts
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 8-10 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 cup coconut milk
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Grind to a paste the onion, garlic, ginger, shrimp paste, lemon grass, nuts, turmeric powder, tamarind paste, dry red chilies and the coriander-cumin powder with required quantity of water.

          Heat oil in a pan and sauté the paste till the oil leaves the sides of the pan. Add the stock and lime leaves. Gently simmer on low flame for 8-10 minutes.

          Now add the prawns and the fish balls and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the flame and add the coconut milk and salt.

          Bring it back on the flame and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Keep aside. While serving, place the boiled noodles into individual bowls and pour some of the Laksa soup over it. Top it up with boiled eggs and garnish with coriander leaves.

                                 Heat oil & sauté ground paste till oil separates.

                                 Add stock & lime leaves. Gently simmer for 8-10 minutes.

                                  Add prawns & fish balls. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.

                          Switch off the flame. Add coconut milk & simmer for 1-2 minutes.

                   Pour gravy over boiled noodles. Serve, garnished with boiled eggs & 
                   coriander leaves.