Malaysian Recipe : Sarawak Laksa

Serves 5

Ingredients:

• 350g Sarawak Laksa paste
  
• 2 litres chicken stock
  
• 250 to 300 ml thick coconut milk

• 400g thick rice vermicelli noodles

Toppings:

• 50g beansprouts, blanched
  
• 100g chicken breast fillet, cooked and shredded
  
• 5 large prawns, cooked, shelled if desired

Garnish

• 2 eggs, made into an omelette and shredded
  
• 2 stalks coriander leaves, chopped
  
• 3 calamansi (kasturi) limes, halved

Sambal:

• 30g garlic
  
• 50g shallots
  
• 100g onion
  
• 50g dried chillies, soaked in hot water
  
• 30g shrimps, soaked and drained

• 6-8 tbsp oil
  
• 50g chilli paste (such as cili boh)
  
• 30g (1 tbsp) tamarind paste, mixed with 3 tbsp water
  
• 1 tbsp sugar, or to taste
  
• ½ tsp salt, or to taste

Directions:

1. For the gravy, boil the laksa paste in chicken stock for 15 minutes. Strain into a pot. Add the coconut milk and stir until well mixed. Season to taste with salt and sugar.
2. Soak the dried vermicelli to soften and blanch with hot water. Place noodles in a bowl and add the toppings in the order listed. Ladle hot laksa gravy over.
3. Garnish with the shredded omelette, coriander and lime halves. Serve with the sambal.
4. To prepare sambal, place the garlic, shallots, onion, dried chilies and dried shrimps in an electric blender and process to a fine paste.
5. Heat the cooking oil and fry the blended ingredients until brown and aromatic. Add the chili paste and tamarind juice and season to taste with sugar and salt. Cook for 25 minutes over a slow fire.