Curry Laksa

Being a true blue Johorean at heart & in tastebuds, whenever I choose to cook noodles at home,I almost always cook either Laksa Johore, Mee Rebus or Mee Kari . The home-made version, are not so easily available outside....and even if they are, it rarely tastes like the ones we make at home. However when I eat out, I love the lighter version restaurant-style Curry Laksa. This recipe is the Curry Laksa commonly served when we eat at restaurants or hawkers......

Ingredients for laksa gravy:

½ cup oil
1/2 tsp shrimp paste, roasted
1/2 kg cooked prawns(keep the stock to put in the gravy & liquidize the prawn heads for sweetness)
2 chicken breast, cooked and sliced thinly(keep stock as gravy)
6 fried bean curds (cut into bite sizes)
4 cups of water
Prawn & chicken stock from cooking the meat earlier
2 cups coconut milk

Ingredients for assembling laksa:

2 packets of vermicelli (soaked and par boil) or yellow noodles(blanched)
3 handful of bean sprouts(blanched if desired..I like the raw crunchiness)
2 red chillies, sliced slanted
1 stalk cilantro
5 limes, halved

Blended ingredients:

15 bulbs shallots
4 garlic
4 lemon grass
2 inch galangal
3 tbsp curry powder
2 tsp chilli powder

Method for laksa:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Sautee' the blended ingredients & shrimp paste till it becomes fragrant.

2. Add the water & stock . Let it boil gently for 15 minutes.

3. Pour the coconut milk and put in the bean curds, prawns & chicken.

4. Flavour with salt.

5. When serving, place the noodles at the base of the bowl, top with gravy, bean sprouts, sliced red chillies, lime and cilantro.

Chilli Oil: