About this recipe
A rich, coconut-based laksa with a spiced prawn-and-dried-shrimp gravy, thick round rice noodles and a lift of laksa leaf, topped with prawns, cockles, fish cake and bean sprouts. The Katong form associated with the Peranakan neighbourhood of eastern Singapore is served with the noodles CUT SHORT so the whole bowl can be eaten with a spoon alone — no chopsticks needed — which is its signature. It is a coconut laksa, and so it is the opposite of Penang asam laksa, the sour, coconut-free fish laksa taught in the Malaysia chapter; the two share only a family name.
Recipe facts
- Yield
- 4 large bowls
- Prep
- 40 minutes
- Cook
- 45 minutes
- Total
- 85 minutes
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Spice
- Medium
Allergens Contains shellfish (prawns, dried shrimp, cockles, belacan), fish (fish cake) and coconut. Not halal in most forms; contains no pork or alcohol as written. Not vegetarian.
Development draft. This is an untested development recipe from the cookbook project. It has not been kitchen-tested, and the quantities and timings are the author’s working draft rather than a verified result.
Ingredients
The rempah
- 10 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water 20 minutes and drained
- 6 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 stalks lemongrass, tender lower third only, sliced
- 1 in (2.5 cm) fresh turmeric, or 1 tsp (2 g) ground turmeric
- 1 in (2.5 cm) galangal, sliced
- 1/3 cup (30 g) dried shrimp, soaked in warm water 15 minutes and drained
- 1 tsp (5 g) belacan, toasted
- 8 candlenuts (buah keras)
The gravy
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral oil
- 6 cups (1.4 L) chicken or prawn stock
- 12 oz (340 g) whole raw prawns, shells reserved
- 2 cups (475 ml) coconut milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) coconut cream
- 1 tbsp (12 g) sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp (9 g) salt, or to taste
- 1 small handful laksa leaf (daun kesum), sliced fine, plus more to garnish
The bowls
- 1 1/2 lb (680 g) fresh thick round rice noodles (laksa noodles), or 12 oz (340 g) dried
- 8 oz (225 g) fish cake, sliced
- 1 cup (150 g) shelled cockles, rinsed (optional)
- 2 cups (160 g) bean sprouts, blanched 30 seconds
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
- Extra sliced laksa leaf and sambal, to serve
Equipment
- Large pot, 5 qt (4.7 L)
- Blender or food processor
- Fine strainer
- Small pan for toasting
Method
- Make a quick prawn stock: fry the reserved prawn shells in 1 tbsp of the oil in the pot over medium heat 3 minutes until pink, add the 6 cups stock, simmer 15 minutes, then strain and return the liquid to the pot. Discard the shells.
- Blend the drained dried chillies, shallots, garlic, sliced lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, soaked dried shrimp, toasted belacan and candlenuts to a smooth rempah, adding a splash of water if needed.
- Heat the remaining oil in a clean wide pot over medium heat and fry the rempah 12-15 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens and the oil separates clearly at the edges.
- Pour in the strained prawn stock and bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes so the flavours come together.
- Add the coconut milk, sugar, salt and the sliced laksa leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer — do not boil hard or the coconut milk will split — and cook 8 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut cream and the peeled prawns and cook 3-4 minutes, until the prawns are just opaque. Add the fish cake and the cockles if using and warm through 1 minute. Taste and adjust salt and sugar.
- Cook the noodles according to their type, drain, and cut them into short 2 in (5 cm) lengths with scissors. Divide between four deep bowls.
- Ladle the hot gravy over the noodles, giving each bowl prawns, fish cake and cockles.
- Top each with blanched bean sprouts, half a boiled egg and extra sliced laksa leaf. Serve with sambal on the side, and a spoon rather than chopsticks.
The Complete Edition
Nyonya Laksa (Katong Laksa) sits in the Singapore chapter
The book carries this recipe in full alongside the rest of the Singapore chapter, the pastes and dips it is built on, and the twenty-seven pantry studies that open the collection.
In review with Amazon KDP
Both editions have been submitted to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and are currently in review. Submitted prices are $9.99 for the kindle edition and $49.99 for the paperback. Neither is on sale yet, and prices are as submitted rather than final.