Soup on Sunday
by allthebest • 13 Jan ’08 • foods, wine • 6 Comments
Over the Christmas holidays we had the most delicious (and spicy) curry laksa. Curry laksa (in many places referred to simply as “laksa”) is a coconut-based curry soup. The main ingredients for most versions of curry laksa include either tofu, fish, shrimp or chicken. Laksa is commonly served with a spoonful of chilli paste and is traditionally garnished with Vietnamese coriander.
I am depserate to recreate this wonderful soup at home. Here are the ingredients for my fist attempt. If you know of any great recipes please do share!
All the best,
Ronda
Ingredients
2 tbsp groundnut oil or other flavourless oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
150ml canned coconut milk
120ml fish stock
4 kaffir lime leaves
2 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
200g fine rice noodles, cooked and drained
24 tiger prawns, cooked
chopped mint and green onion for garnish
For the red curry paste
2 red chillies
2 lemon grass stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small piece root ginger, coarsely chopped
4 shallots, chopped
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp dried shrimp paste
First make the red curry paste. Put the chillies, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, shallots, turmeric and shrimp paste and into a blender and blend until smooth.
Heat the groundnut oil in a heavy-based saucepan and fry the curry paste and shallots and garlic all until soft and fragrant – about 5 minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk and stock. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the kaffir lime leaves. Stir in the peanuts.
To serve, place the pre-prepared rice noodles in a large bowl, layering prawns on top, then pour the soup over and garnish with coriander, green onion and chopped mint. Serve at once.
I love this soup with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. My personal favorite is St. Supéry. Of course it would be equally good with Gewurztraminer. Enjoy!
Serves 2
flickr photo
Yummy!!! I know what I want to make for dinner this week!
Laksa is one of my favorites as well. My mother makes a lemak laksa (lemak literally translated to fat refering of course to the coconut). Here is a recipe: http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=2951.
Also, usually packets of the herbs can be bought so all you need to do is add water and coconut milk.
Thank you for the recipe link and for the tip!!
ooo I’ll have to try the receipe!!!
gewurtz goes so well with curry. also i was wondering do you make your own stock (chicken, beef, fish) ? because i generally don’t and have never been able to find fish stock prepared. if you buy yours already prepared where do you get it? i have literally gone to all kinds of places looking for it for a different recipe and people look at me like a) i’m crazy or b) they have no idea what a “stock” is anyway.
Mackenna I wish that I could tell you that I make my own…I dream about making my own, but instead I use Knorr fish cubes or clam juice if all else fails. It can usually be found in the soup section, but not every store carries the fish (mostly beef and chicken).
It’s been much easier to find in the UK and it’s not as salty is seems.