Chicken and Prawn Laksa

A delicious laksa curry that is super easy to make with a nutri bullet if you are short for time.

the flavours will not be as deep with the mortar and pesto. It is a good idea to double the ingredients as it freezes well for another time. The paste is also wonderful for pan fried fish or chicken adding coconut cream to amke a lovely gravy for the topping.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil

• 1.5 liter chicken stock

• 2½ tsp grated palm sugar

• 450 g chicken thighs with bone and skin, or chicken thigh fillets, thickly sliced

• 12 large raw king prawns, shelled, intestinal tract removed, tails left intact

• 500 ml (2 cups) coconut milk

• 12 fish balls

• 150 tofu puffs, thickly sliced

• 1 kg fresh thin rice noodles or fresh egg noodles

• 3 hard boil eggs sliced in half

Laksa paste

combine all the ingredients into a mortar and pestle and pound the spices until it comes together until smooth. Or a quicker way is to put into a small food processor and blend until smooth paste.

• 8 small dried red chilies or fresh red chilies

• 2 tbsp. dried shrimp toasted

• 5 red Asian shallots chopped

• 1 tbsp. finely chopped galangal or frozen

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 large lemongrass stalks, trimmed, chopped

• 4 candle nuts chopped

• 1 tbsp. belachan (dried shrimp paste)

• 2 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp sweet paprika

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• Garnish

• 200 gram (2½ cups) beansprouts

• fried Asian shallots

• Vietnamese mint leaves, chili sambal (optional) and lime wedges, to serve

• fresh coriander leaves

• spring onions

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add laksa paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes

Until fragrant. Add stock and sugar. Stir to combine, then bring to a simmer. Add chicken, return to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes. Add prawns and cook for 1 minute or until chicken is cooked through and prawns are almost cooked.

Add coconut milk, fish balls, tofu puffs. Stir gently to combine, then bring almost to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 minutes or until prawns are just cooked, fish balls and tofu are heated through.

Meanwhile, place noodles in a large bowl. Pour over enough boiling water to cover, then stand for 2 minutes or until heated through. Drain well. Divide noodles, then laksa mixture among bowls. Scatter over fried shallots and fresh herbs to garnish. Spoon over chili sambal, if desired, and serve immediately with lime wedges. Note• these ingredients are available from Asian food shops, Fresh and Save or Lim’s supermarkets Auckland.