Book of Days Tales

The 4^th Saturday in October is Children’s Day in Malaysia. Malaysia is made up of numerous countries and cultures, but some recipes are reasonably universal. Laksa is one of them. You can buy laksa paste readymade but homemade is better. I use a food processor to make mine, but in SE Asia mortar and pestle are more traditional. Choice of meats and other ingredients varies from place to place and cook to cook.  Chicken laksa is not common.

Ingredients

3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock
400 ml coconut milk
125 ml coconut cream
4 makrut lime leaves
400 gm chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced
100 gm mung bean vermicelli noodles (cellophane or glass noodles)
1 tbsp palm sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
110 gm bean sprouts
½ cup coriander leaves
½ cup Vietnamese mint leaves

lime wedges, to serve
sambal oelek, to serve

Laksa paste

2 dried chiles
½ onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cm piece ginger, peeled and  finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, finely chopped
¼ cup (45 gm) candle or macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
¼ cup Vietnamese mint leaves
2 tsp shrimp paste
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground fennel

Instructions

To make the laksa paste, place the dried chiles in a small heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 15 minutes to soften. Drain and coarsely chop. Place in the bowl of a food processor with the onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, nuts, mint, shrimp paste, paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and fennel and process until finely chopped and well combined.

Heat a large saucepan over high heat. Add the laksa paste and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk and cream and 3 of the makrut lime leaves and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add the sugar and lime juice and stir to combine.

Place the noodles in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 5 minutes to soak. Drain well.

Finely shred the remaining lime leaf. Divide the noodles among serving bowls. Ladle over the soup and chicken. Top with bean sprouts, coriander, mint and makrut lime leaf. Serve immediately with sambal oelek and lime wedges.