Prawn & Coconut Laksa
Steaming coral-pink prawns half-submerged in glossy coconut broth, crowned with crisp bean sprouts, jewel-bright chilli and a tumble of coriander, with a lime wedge waiting at the rim.
Ingredients
Serves 4- 500 mlchicken or vegetable stock
- 2lemongrass stalks, bruised
- 2 x 400mltins full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tbspfish sauce
- 1 tspcaster sugar
- 1 tbspvegetable oil
- 3 tbsplaksa paste
- 3kaffir lime leaves
- 400 graw king prawns, peeled and deveined
- 200 gdried flat rice noodles
- 200 gbean sprouts
- 2spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1red chilli, thinly sliced
- 1lime, cut into wedges
- 15 gfresh coriander
- Fine salt and black pepper
Method
- Start the cooking water over a high heat. Cook the rice noodles to packet timing, then drain, rinse under cold water to stop them clagging together, and divide between four deep bowls.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot or wok over medium heat. Add the laksa paste and fry for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens a shade and turns deeply fragrant. Toast the paste properly here.
- Add the bruised lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, then pour in both tins of coconut milk and the stock. The coconut and stock are what break the paste down into a proper broth; without that liquid you've just got a fried lump of spice. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, letting the aromatics infuse.
- Stir in the fish sauce and sugar. Taste the broth; most of the salt comes from the fish sauce and the paste, so adjust: another splash of fish sauce if it's flat, a pinch of salt if it needs sharpening, a little more sugar if it's biting.
- Slide the prawns into the simmering broth and cook for 3–4 minutes, until they curl tight and turn coral pink throughout. Don't push past 4 minutes; prawns go from tender to rubbery in under a minute.
- Off the heat, finish with a squeeze of lime juice straight into the pot; the acid lifts the coconut richness and wakes the whole broth up. Taste one more time, season if it needs it.
- Ladle the prawns and broth generously over the waiting noodles. Pile a handful of bean sprouts on each bowl, scatter the coriander leaves and spring onions, drop a few rings of red chilli on top, and tuck a lime wedge against the rim for squeezing at the table.
Per serving
- kcal
- 738
- protein
- 33.5g
- fibre
- 2.6g
- carbs
- 54.6g
- fat
- 45.6g
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