Name: Malaysian Curry Laksa with Chicken, Fish Balls and Tofu Puffs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 6-7 cm (a little under 3 in~about the length of a thumb) of ginger or galangal (peeled and roughly chopped); 3 shallots; 6 cloves of garlic; 2 tsp of Belacan shrimp paste; 3-5 dried red chiles (depends on how hot you want it); 1 tsp turmeric powder; 2-3 stalks of lemongrass; 1 tsp tamarind puree; 2 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground cumin; 2-3 candlenuts or macadamia nuts (optional); 1 tsp sugar; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 3 tbsp cooking oil; 4 cups (a little under a liter) chicken broth; 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk; a handful of curry leaves (optional); 2 chicken breasts (sliced thinly); 12-16 fish balls or medium-sized shrimp; bean sprouts (for garnish); 8-10 tofu puffs; 200 g -300 g (7 oz – 10.5 oz) Chinese noodles or rice vermicelli (whichever you prefer)

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The birth of Malaysian Curry Laksa

Laksa is the result of two cultures coming together. The story goes that when Chinese immigrants settled in Malaysia, they married locals who learned to cook Chinese recipes but put their own twist on them by using local ingredients. Hence, Peranakan cuisine (aka Nyonya cuisine) was born and still remains a delicious staple in Malaysia today.

One of the more famous Peranakan concoctions is laksa-a brothy noodle soup flavored with South East Asia ingredients like galangal, lemongrass and tamarind. Here in Malaysia, there are many different kinds of laksa:

curry laksa with its coconut milk rick broth
Asam laksa made with mackerel and tamarind
Sarawak laksa with its spicy red broth
and all the other variations in between.

Give me curry, please

As for me, my favorite laksa du jour is Malaysian curry laksa. It’s got everything I love-Chinese style noodles in a tasty broth, Indian spices like cumin and coriander and of course, the tropical flavors of Malaysia such as lemongrass, tamarind, and coconut milk. It’s as diverse as the country itself and together forms a beautiful bowl of food.

I love diving into this big bowl of Malaysian curry laksa with its chewy noodles, tender pieces of chicken and bouncy fish balls all covered in a smooth coconut curry broth. Top it off with some light and airy tofu puffs and crunchy bean sprouts and I’m good to go.

An orange rectangular package of Belacan shrimp paste — For this recipe, you’re going to need Belacan shrimp paste. A little goes a long way, so be careful when adding it to the recipe. If you’re a fan, go ahead and heap it on but for everyone else, limit yourself to 2 tsp of shrimp paste.

Lemongrass crushed and split down the middle — To get the most flavor out of lemongrass, make sure to cut off the tough bulb at the base, remove 1-2 tough outer layers and the upper third of the stalk where it turns green and no longer white. Bruise it with the flat part of your knife or the bottom of a heavy mug. Then cut into pieces no longer than 1 in/ 2 cm long.

Chopped lemongrass, candlenuts, shallots, belacan paste and tamarind puree in a food processor — Using a mortar and pestle or food processor, combine ginger, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste, red chiles, turmeric powder, lemongrass, tamarind puree, ground coriander, ground cumin, candlenuts, sugar, sea salt and cooking oil.

Pureed yellow laksa paste in a food processor with a rubber spatula — Puree together until a paste has formed.

Golden curry laksa paste frying in a wok — In a large wok, cook paste over high heat until fragrant.

Yellow curry laksa paste and chicken broth cooking together in a large wok — Once fragrant, add chicken stock. Bring to a boil.

Laksa paste, chicken broth and coconut milk cooking in a wok with a handful of green curry leaves on top — Add a handful of curry leaves (about one strand’s worth) and coconut milk. Stir and bring to a boil. If you are like me and love coconut milk and creamier soups, than feel free to add an additional cup of coconut milk to the soup.

Bundles of uncooked white Chinese alkaline noodles in a white bowl — You can use any kind of noodle you prefer for this soup but I prefer to stay close to its Peranaken roots by using Chinese noodles, preferably Emperor Noodles (aka Chinese Alkaline Water Noodles) simply because they hold up nicely with the strong curry flavors. For more information and recipes on how to make them, go here.

Creamy curry laksa broth cooking in a wok with curry leaves, chicken breasts and fish balls — Add thinly sliced chicken breasts and fish balls. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat it cooked (about 5-7 minutes).

Curry laksa cooking in a wok with fish balls and tofu puffs — Add tofu puffs to laksa broth, stir and let cook in the simmering sauce for a 1-2 minutes.

A mound of cooked Chinese noodles in a white bowl — For assembly, place noodles at the bottom of the bowl.