This spicy Malaysian noodle soup has an extensive ingredients list, but it is so worth the shopping trip! Measuring out and Making the laksa paste is probably the most time-consuming part of this dish. The actual cooking of it, is very speedy- it’s on the table in 20 minutes.

Serves 8- Cooking and prep time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• FOR THE PASTE: 8-10 dried red chillies (you can use as many or as little as you like, but typically this dish does have a good level of heat). Soak the chillies in water for 20 minutes
• 1 (heaped) tbsp shrimp paste
• 1 tbsp dried shrimp (if you have some! If not, just add in a little extra shrimp paste). Soaked in the same water as the chillies
• 2 banana shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed, ends trimmed and roughly sliced
• thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and roughly sliced
• thumb-sized piece of galangal, peeled and roughly sliced. If you can’t get hold of this, just use extra ginger.
• 2 tsp ground tumeric
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 10 cashews or almonds, soaked in water
• 3 tbsp oil
• REMAINING INGREDIENTS: 1 litre chicken stock
• 2 cans of coconut milk
• 1 kg chicken breast, sliced into thin slices
• 450g raw king prawns. You can use already cooked ones too.
• 350g green beans, ends trimmed and halved
• juice of a lime
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 600g rice noodles
• half a bag of beansprouts
• fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• crispy shallots, homemade or shop bought
• oil
• 2 tsp sugar

Method:

1. I’m sure it comes as no surprise, but you’ve got to start off by whipping up the laksa paste. Drain the water from the ingredients that you’ve been soaking. Add everything into a food processor, or glass jug if you have a stick blender, and whizz. Sometimes it helps to add half the oil to start, and then gradually add the rest as the paste begins to liquidise.
2. Set aside whilst you prep the remaining ingredients. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. This will typically be soaking them in warm water for about 20 minutes, using tongs to gently separate them every so often. Just make sure they’re soft and cooked through.
3. When you’re ready to cook the laska, heat up 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the paste and fry off for a few minutes until fragrant.
4. Add the stock, green beans and lime leaves, gently bringing everything to a simmer. Cook until the beans are just about done. You want them soft enough to digest but still with a little crunch.
5. Pop in the chicken and cook for a further 4 minutes. Because it’s thinly sliced, this will only take minutes to cook. Next, chuck in the the prawns . If they are raw, cook for 2 minutes extra.
6. Add in the coconut milk, keeping a gentle simmer going. And then season with the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar a bit at a time. It’s essential to taste as you go by this point because you may need/want more sweetness or saltiness. Simmer everything for another 5 minutes but do not let it boil.
7. When you’re ready to serve, drain the noodles and separate them equally into bowls. Ladle the laksa over the noodles and garnish with beansprouts, fresh coriander and crispy shallots (and an extra lime wedge if you’re feeling fancy).
8. And voila! Eat immediately.