Weeknight Coconut Chicken Laksa

⏱ 45 min · Serves 4

A fragrant bowl of Malaysian-style curry laksa: silky coconut broth humming with lemongrass and chilli, poached chicken, springy noodles and a pile of crunchy toppings. Made from scratch with a quick blender paste, it tastes like a hawker stall but fits into a weeknight.

Per serving: 880 kcal · 51.0g protein · 63.0g carbs · 49.0g fat

Ingredients

• 4 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water 10 min (or 2 tsp chilli flakes)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 shallots, peeled
• 2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, chopped
• 4 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp shrimp paste (belacan) or 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp macadamia nuts or blanched almonds
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 400 ml full-fat coconut milk
• 750 ml chicken stock
• 500 g boneless chicken thighs, sliced
• 1 tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 200 g fried tofu puffs, halved (optional)
• 300 g fresh rice noodles or 200 g dried rice vermicelli
• 150 g beansprouts
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, julienned
• 4 soft-boiled eggs, halved
• Small handful mint and coriander leaves
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• Chilli oil or sambal, to serve

Method

1. Drain the soaked chillies. Blitz chillies, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, coriander, shrimp paste and nuts in a small blender with a splash of water to a smooth paste.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Fry the paste, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes until deeply fragrant and the oil separates. Don't rush this - it's where the flavour comes from.
3. Spoon in the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk and fry for 2 minutes more, then pour in the rest of the coconut milk and the stock. Bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Add the chicken, fish sauce and sugar. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Add the tofu puffs for the last 3 minutes. Taste and adjust with more fish sauce, sugar or a squeeze of lime.
5. Meanwhile, cook the noodles to packet instructions, then drain. Blanch the beansprouts for 20 seconds in the noodle water and drain.
6. Divide noodles between four deep bowls. Ladle over the hot laksa broth, chicken and tofu.
7. Top with beansprouts, cucumber, half an egg each, mint and coriander. Serve with lime wedges and sambal on the side.