Prawn Laksa
A bowl of rice noodles drowned in a broth that is simultaneously fiery, rich, and sour — the coconut cream folding around lemongrass and shrimp paste like a warm tide, plump prawns barely cooked in the final simmer.
Ingredients
For 4 servings · tick what is ready
Use the scaled ingredient list. Steps and temperatures stay unchanged; use a larger pan or dish if needed. Seasonings to taste stay to taste.
How to make it
If using raw prawn shells, simmer them in the stock for 15 minutes to build a deeper shellfish base. Strain and discard the shells. This step dramatically increases the prawn flavor in the broth and is worth the extra time. If using ready-made prawn stock, skip the shell simmer.
Heat a splash of oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add the laksa paste and toasted belacan. Fry, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes until the paste darkens by one shade, the raw smell burns off, and the oil begins to separate and pool around the edges of the paste. This 'cooking out' step is essential — raw paste tastes sharp and unbalanced.
Pour in the coconut cream and prawn stock. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer — not a rolling boil, which will break the coconut cream and make the broth grainy. Season with fish sauce. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth is fragrant, rich, and just slightly thickened.
Bring the broth to a lively simmer. Add the soaked noodles and poach for 2 minutes until tender. Slide in the raw prawns and cook for exactly 90 seconds until just pink throughout. Remove from heat immediately. Adjust seasoning with lime juice and fish sauce. Ladle into deep bowls over a nest of noodles and prawns. Top with bean sprouts, laksa leaves, and sliced chili.
About this recipe
By ForkRecipe Kitchen · Source: ForkRecipe / FoodML and contributors. Recipe content available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Serving count is an estimate; check quantities in the source recipe.