Seafood Laksa

There's nothing quite like the heavenly fragrances and fabulous flavours of laksa soup. You can make this delicious seafood laksa using shop-bought laksa paste, or if you have time try Geoff's homemade laksa paste recipe. The quantities given below will serve six people.

Geoff's Genuine Laksa Paste

This recipe makes enough for Geoff's Seafood Laksa recipe, below.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2cm length fresh turmeric, grated
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2.5cm knob ginger, grated
• 100ml coconut cream
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 stalk lemon grass, finely chopped
• 5 bird's-eye chillies, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon shrimp paste

Method

Lightly toast the coriander and cumin seeds then grind them either in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Add the spices to the rest of the ingredients and put in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Seafood Laksa

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• shop-bought laksa paste - see jar label for quantity (or make up Geoff's recipe, above)
• 2 x 400ml cans coconut cream
• 500ml chicken stock
• 50g palm sugar, grated
• bean curd puffs (optional)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, shaved very finely
• juice of 2 limes
• 200g uncooked prawns, peeled
• 400g white fish fillets, cubed
• 200g calamari, sliced
• 400g fresh egg noodles
• 100g bean sprouts, for garnish
• 1 cup coriander leaves, for garnish
• chilli jam, for garnish (optional)

Method

• Soak the bean curd puffs in hot water.
• Place the bean shoots into a dish of cold water.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
• Fry the laksa paste over a medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes, until fragrant.
• Add the chicken stock and the coconut cream and bring to simmering point.
• Halve the bean curd puffs and add them along with the palm sugar, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice and fish sauce and allow to come back to temperature.
• Add the uncooked prawns, fish fillets and calamari slices and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked.
• Lower the egg noodles into boiling water and leave for 2 minutes.
• Drain and divide them evenly between six serving bowls.(Tip: Soup bowls can be warmed first by filling them with hot water.
• After a few seconds pour the water out and bowls will be ready to use.) Ladle the laksa over the top of the noodles and garnish with the bean sprouts, fresh coriander leaves and a dollop of chilli jam.

Further information: Ingredients such as laksa paste, palm sugar, fish sauce and chilli jam are available at many supermarkets, department store foodhalls and Asian food stores. Chris Lim Laksa Paste costs about $19.95 for a 400g jar, but there are other less expensive brands available. Fresh noodles are available from the refrigerated section at supermarkets. Geoff used Hokkien noodles in our segment, but you can experiment with other noodles if you like.

Copyright CTC Productions 1999