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Curry laksa bowl with chopsticks and sambar from above.
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5 from 8 votes

Malaysian curry laksa - curry mee

Malaysian curry laksa is a delicous noodle soup that eats like a meal.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Malaysian
Keyword: curry laksa, curry mee, laksa lemak
Servings: 6
Calories: 724kcal
Author: romain | glebekitchen

Ingredients

Shallot lemongrass paste

  • 1 cup shallots chopped
  • 1 stalk lemongrass - outer leaves discarded. Chopped.
  • 2 tbsp garlic ginger paste or 3 cloves of garlic and a 3/4 inch piece of ginger, chopped
  • enough water to puree

curry laksa

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 tbsp malaysian meat curry powder - yes seriously, get the right curry powder. It's important.
  • 1/2-2 tsp kashmiri chili powder 1/2 tsp is nicely spiced. 2 tsp is pretty hot.
  • 6 chicken thighs boneless, skinless. Cut into 3/4 inch pieces.
  • 12 oz shrimp pre-cooked for perfect shrimp (see note)
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 4 cups coconut milk 2 15 ounce cans is close enough
  • 4 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • 1 lb Chinese egg noodles cooked per package instructions.
  • sambal and fresh lime to garnish

Instructions

Make the shallot lemongrass paste

  • Combine the chopped shallots, chopped lemongrass and garlic ginger paste in your blender. Add a couple tablespoons of water. Try to puree. Keep adding water a tablespoon at a time until it goes. This really depends on your blender. I can't tell you what's right for yours.
  • Once it is pureed scrape it out into a bowl.

Cook your noodles

  • Follow the instructions on the package. When done drain them through a colander and then rinse in cold water. Set aside.

Make the curry laksa

  • Pick a pot big enough to hold all the ingredients. A dutch oven is a good choice here.
  • Add the oil to the pot and heat the oil over medium low heat.
  • Add the Malaysian meat curry powder and kashmiri chili powder. Stir constantly for about 30-45 seconds. You need to be careful here. You don't want to burn your spices but you do want to cook them out. This is called blooming the spices and it's where magic happens.
  • Add the shallot lemongrass paste. Stir to combine. Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly.
  • Add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken. Cook for about 5-8 minutes until almost done. If you didn't pre-cook the shrimp (see note) add them now. Cook until they just turn pink.
  • Add the coconut milk and fish sauce. Stir to combine. Bring back to a simmer.
  • Divide the cooked noodles into 4 bowls. Toss in some bean sprouts. Add pre-cooked shrimp if you are going the pre-cooked shrimp route. Ladle the hot curry laksa soup overtop. Garnish with sambal and lime wedges. Enjoy.

Notes

This recipe serves six moderate portions or four monster portions. You know your appetite. 
Pre-cooking shrimp I like to pre-cook shrimp so they are perfectly done in the final dish. It's easy. Thaw and peel the shrimp. Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the shrimp. Cover. Let sit to cook (6 minutes for 31-40 count, 7 minutes for 26-30 count or 8 minutes for 21-25 count). Transfer the shrimp to an ice bath to stop them from cooking more. All you need to do is drop them into the bowl and ladle the soup overtop. This will warm them through.

Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 724kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 38g | Cholesterol: 262mg | Sodium: 1566mg | Potassium: 994mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 148IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 10mg