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Laksa: Spicy chicken, pork & prawn, vegetable recipes to suit every taste

Lynne Mullins

Dinner in 10 minutes: Spicy Chicken Laksa with rice noodles.
Dinner in 10 minutes: Spicy Chicken Laksa with rice noodles.Quentin Jones Styling: Alexia Biggs

Spicy chicken laksa with rice noodles, cucumber and coriander

Serves 4

2 tsp peanut oil

3-4 tbsp laksa paste

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2 x 270ml cans coconut milk

3 cups chicken stock

3 chicken breast fillets, cut into strips

1 kaffir lime leaf

2 x 450g packets rice noodles

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1 cup bean sprouts

2 green onions, sliced diagonally

1 unpeeled lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds removed and sliced

½ cup firmly packed coriander leaves

Heat oil in a large wok over a low heat and add laksa paste. Stir for 2-3 minutes until aromatic.

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Add coconut milk and stock and bring to the boil. Add chicken and kaffir lime leaf and cook for about 4-5 minutes until chicken is tender.

Meanwhile, place noodles in a large heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Rest for 2 minutes then drain.

Place noodles in 4 serving bowls, spoon over chicken mixture and garnish with bean sprouts, green onion, cucumber and coriander leaves.

Pork and prawn laksa

Serves 4

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200g dried rice stick noodles

2½ tbsp vegetable oil

230g jar laksa paste

375ml water

1 lemongrass stem, bruised, tied in a knot

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350g pork fillet, trimmed, thinly sliced

300g peeled, deveined raw prawns

2 x 270 ml tins coconut cream

200g fried tofu puffs, sliced, to serve

115g bean sprouts, trimmed, to serve

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sliced fresh long red chilli, to serve

coriander sprigs, to serve

crisp fried shallots, to serve

Cook the noodles in boiling water for 6 minutes following the packet directions until just tender. Drain well, drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil, toss to coat the noodles and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the laksa paste and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic. Add the water and lemongrass and bring to the boil.

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Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the pork and prawns to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes or until just tender. Add the coconut cream and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately, topped with the tofu, bean sprouts, chilli, coriander and crisp fried shallots.

Vegetable laksa

Serves 4

250g dried rice vermicelli

1 tbsp vegetable oil

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3 tbsp laksa paste

750ml coconut milk

750ml good quality vegetable stock

90g baby corn, halved diagonally

2 snake beans, cut into 4 cm lengths

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¼ Chinese cabbage, shredded

4 fried tofu puffs, halved

150g bean sprouts, tails trimmed

1 lebanese cucumber, julienned

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped Vietnamese mint

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1 small red chilli, thinly sliced

Put the vermicelli in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Heat the oil in a large wok over medium heat and cook the laksa paste for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in the coconut milk and stock and bring to the boil. Add the baby corn and snake beans and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cabbage.

Drain the vermicelli, rinse under hot water and drain again. Spoon into four deep serving bowls. Divide the tofu puffs, bean sprouts and cucumber among the bowls. Ladle the vegetables and broth into the bowls and scatter the mint leaves and chilli over the top.

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