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The Noodle 100 · make it at home

Curry laksa with prawns, tofu puffs and two noodles

1 hr 15 min · 4 bowls

Singapore and Malaysia's coconut curry noodle soup, rich with a fried spice paste and dried shrimp. The paste is the work; make a double batch and freeze half.

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The real one

You need

• For the paste: 10 dried red chilies soaked, 6 shallots, 4 cloves garlic, 3 stalks lemongrass (white part), 3 cm (1 in) galangal, 3 cm (1 in) fresh turmeric or 1 tsp ground, 6 candlenuts or macadamias, 2 tbsp dried shrimp soaked, 1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste), 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 4 tbsp oil, 1 liter (4 cups) chicken or prawn stock, 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk
• To season: 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 400 g (14 oz) raw prawns, 12 tofu puffs halved, 200 g (7 oz) fish cake sliced
• 250 g (8 oz) thick rice vermicelli and 250 g (8 oz) yellow egg noodles
• To serve: bean sprouts, 2 hard-boiled eggs, laksa leaf (Vietnamese mint), sambal, lime

How to make it

1. Paste (10 min): Blend everything for the paste to a smooth paste, with a splash of oil.
2. Fry (15 min): Fry the paste in the oil over medium heat, stirring, until it darkens, smells toasty and the oil separates, 10 to 15 minutes. Don't rush it; this is where the flavor comes from.
3. Soup (15 min): Add the stock, simmer 10 minutes, then the coconut milk, sugar, salt and fish sauce. Simmer gently (don't boil hard). Add the prawns, tofu puffs and fish cake for the last 3 minutes.
4. Noodles (5 min): Cook both noodles and the sprouts briefly in boiling water; drain.
5. Build: Noodles and sprouts in big bowls, ladle over the soup with prawns and tofu, top with half an egg and laksa leaf. Sambal and lime on the side.

Tips

• Tofu puffs soak up the soup; they're the best part.
• Katong laksa: cut the noodles short and eat it with only a spoon.

Chef Amazing's own home version, in our words; not any shop's recipe.