NONYA SEAFOOD LAKSA
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
100ml cooking oil
1 litre coconut milk
Salt, to taste
Sugar, to taste
500g rice vermicelli/laksa noodles, blanched
125g beansprouts, blanched
5 pieces tau pok, cut into strips
10 quail eggs, cooked and deshelled
150g prawns, blanched
1 fish cake, sliced
24 cockles (optional)
21⁄2 tbsp chopped laksa leaves
For The Laksa Paste
2 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked in water
1 tbsp belacan
8-10 cloves garlic, skinned
8-10 shallots, skinned
30g turmeric root, skinned
25g galangal (blue ginger)
2 candlenuts, soaked in water
2 stalks lemongrass
10-15 pieces dried chilli, soaked in water
For The Sambal Shrimp Paste
2 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked in water 11⁄2 onion, skinned
10-15 pieces small dried chilli, soaked in water
2 tbsp cooking oil Salt, to taste Sugar, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1 Blend all the ingredients for the laksa paste in a blender until it becomes a smooth paste, adding some water if needed.
2 In a medium-sized pot, heat the 100ml of cooking oil on medium heat. Cook the laksa paste for 10-15min, stirring constantly so the paste doesn’t get burnt at the base. Continue cooking till the oil separates and the paste becomes aromatic.
3 Pour in the coconut milk and add salt and sugar to taste. Bring to boil and set aside. 4 To make the sambal shrimp paste, blend dried shrimp, onions and dried chillies in
a blender until it becomes a smooth paste, adding some water if needed. Heat the 2 tbsp of cooking oil, add the shrimp paste mixture and stir well till the oil separates. Season with salt and sugar.
5 To serve, place blanched noodles, beansprouts, tau pok, quail eggs, prawn, fish cake and cockles in a bowl. Scoop the laksa gravy over. Garnish with chopped laksa leaves and sambal shrimp paste at the side.