It’s cold around here! If you are looking for a big bowl of comfort, well here you go! Dress it up however you like, made it vegetarian if so inclined, whatever you do, give it a try. This is perfect for a chilly night.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 tbsp oil
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 2 cm (1 inch ish) ginger, grated
• 1 lemongrass , white part grated
•  2 birds eye chillis , finely chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup (175g) laksa paste 
• 400g / 14 oz can coconut milk
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth 
• 2 tsp fish sauce (sub soy but fish sauce recommended)
• 2 tsp chili sauce

• cooked noodles, either rice vermicelli or Udon noodles
• any cooked protein if you like ….. chicken, prawns, crispy tofu, the options are up to you
• cilantro, roughly chopped
• sliced green onions
• bean sprouts

METHOD

• Heat oil in a large saucepan or small pot over medium low heat. Add garlic and ginger, sauté for 20 seconds, then add lemongrass and chillis. Cook for 1 minute.
• Add laksa paste. Turn heat up to medium and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, or until fragrant.
• Add chicken stock, coconut milk, fish sauce and 2 tsp of Chilli Sauce. Place lid on and simmer on for 10 minutes.
• Adjust to taste using lime juice (for sour) and fish sauce (for saltiness). Leave on turned off stove with lid on for 5 minutes.

To assemble, place noodles in bowl, add in vegetables and bean sprouts – top with broth and then any of the fixings you like

I’ve tried a number of laksa recipes, and they tend to disappoint. Part of the problem is a difficulty sourcing different pastes and sauces where we live. Laksa paste itself is a very complex flavour compound. This recipe came from Recipe Tin Eats, and it was her recommendation to use a paste that convinced me to try again. Nagi was right on with that suggestion, by the time you have enough of the right ingredients to make laksa paste, you would have to be making it frequently to keep all your supplies fresh. Hop on over to her blog for even more components to this dish, even recipes to make your own stock and chili paste.

We love this served with my green onion pancakes, perfect for dipping!