Fast Ed’s Authentic Laksa Recipe

Who doesn’t love laksa? It’s time to ditch the heavy, fatty laksas from your takeaway and make Fast Ed’s delicious and authentic Singapore laksa recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp dried prawns, soaked in water

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ cup rempah (recipe below)

400ml coconut milk

250ml chicken stock

24 prawns, peeled

24 clams, rinsed

3 cups thick rice stick noodles, broken into pieces

2 cups bean shoots

1 cup tofu puffs, diced

2 hard-boiled eggs, halved

¼ cup fresh laksa leaves (also known as Vietnamese mint), finely sliced

salt flakes

Rempah spice paste

8 shallots, peeled (270g)

12 candlenuts

2 tsp (25g) Belachan (shrimp paste), roasted

3cm piece fresh turmeric, peeled

2 sticks lemongrass, sliced (white part only)

12 cloves garlic

3cm piece galangal, peeled and chopped

2 long red chillies, seeded and chopped

10 dried red chillies, soaked and seeded

2 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp ground coriander seed

1 tsp ground star anise

20 laksa leaves

½ cup dried shrimp, soaked and drained

Method

1. Soak the dried prawns in warm water for 10 minutes, then pound in a mortar until crumbly. Set aside.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over a moderate heat, then fry the rempah for 3 minutes, stirring often, until aromatic. Add the coconut milk, chicken stock and dried prawns, then simmer for 2 minutes before adding the prawns and clams and turning the heat to low.

3. Blanch the noodles until just softened, then add to the soup with the tofu and eggs. Blanch the bean shoots for 1 minutes, then refresh under cold water and place into bowls. Mix in the laksa leaves and season with salt, then ladle into bowls.

4. To make the rempah, combine all ingredients in a food processor and purée until very smooth with ½ cup water. Store refrigerated and use within 1 week.

What’s your favourite Singapore dish?