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blacan thin stalks fresh ginger turmeric onion hot red chiles garlic candlenuts water bean-curd puffs chicken chicken stock fresh bean sprouts olive coconut milk sugar shrimp fresh round fresh cilantro
Viewed: 34 - Published at: 7 years agoIngredients
- 11/2 teaspoons blacan (shrimp paste)
- 2 thick or 3 thin stalks fresh lemongrass
- 11/2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh or frozen galangal
- 1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh or frozen turmeric or 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 6 fresh hot red chiles (such as Thai or serrano), seeded if desired and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 5 candlenuts (do not eat raw) or macadamia nuts, chopped
- 2 tablespoons water
- 6 fried bean-curd puffs
- 2 chicken breast halves with skin and bones
- 31/2 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
- 6 oz fresh bean sprouts (21/2 cups), threadlike tails discarded
- 1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
- 14-oz can well-shaken unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1 lb fresh round (not flat) rice noodles or wheat noodles or 1/2 lb dried egg noodles
- Garnish: fresh cilantro sprigs
Method
- Preheat oven to 300F.
- Wrap blacan tightly in a piece of foil and roast in middle of oven 10 minutes.
- Unwrap and cool.
- Discard tough outer leaves of lemongrass and trim root ends.
- Thinly slice lower 6 inches of stalks.
- Fold upper stalks into thirds and tie into a bundle with kitchen string.
- In 2 batches, puree blacan, sliced lemongrass, and remaining spice paste ingredients in a mini food processor until almost smooth.
- Soak bean-curd puffs in hot water in a bowl, weighted with another bowl of water to keep puffs immersed, 20 minutes.
- Squeeze as much water as possible from puffs and halve diagonally.
- While puffs soak, simmer chicken in stock in a saucepan, turning occasionally, until just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes, and cool chicken in a bowl.
- Pour stock through a fine sieve into another bowl.
- Discard chicken skin and bones and shred or slice chicken.
- Blanch bean sprouts in a pot of boiling water 15 seconds and drain well.
- Heat oil in a 6- to 7-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and stir in spice paste.
- (Oil should be hot enough for spice paste to sizzle when added.)
- Cook, stirring constantly, until spice paste begins to stick to bottom of pot, 8 to 10 minutes.
- (Oil will separate out, and mixture will appear curdled.
- Paste will reduce and turn a shade darker; do not let brown.)
- Add coconut milk, sugar, stock, and lemongrass bundle and bring to a simmer, stirring.
- Stir in puffs and gently simmer 20 minutes.
- Stir in shrimp and simmer until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in chicken and salt to taste.
- While laksa simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil for noodles.
- If using fresh noodles, cook 1 minute and drain well, rinsing briefly under water if sticking occurs.
- If using dried noodles, cook according to package directions.
- Divide noodles, bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, and puffs among 4 deep bowls and ladle laksa broth over.
