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:

• 3 tbsp ground chilli
• 3 minced garlic
• 1/3 cup of oil

Cook these 3 ingredients for 5 minutes or so till red chilli oil appears.