Sarawak laksa

Sarawak cooking teacher Christopher Wan shared this recipe with Justine Schofield during her visit to the region visit her series Malaysia Gourmet. “Laksa is everyone’s favourite,” he says. “In Malaysia, especially in Sarawak, it’s considered one of the iconic dishes. It’s a comfort food for all of us here.”

Sarawak laksa. Credit: Malaysia Gourmet

• serves

  2

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 200 g prawns, pre-poached, shells reserved for broth
• ½ cup laksa paste
• 150 g rice noodles
• 1 tsp chicken stock powder
• 1 tsp coconut milk
• Handful of bean sprouts
• Egg garnish, to serve (see Note)
• Coriander leaves, to garnish

Instructions

1. In a large pot, bring 700 ml of water to a rolling boil.
2. Place the chicken breasts and the reserved poached prawn shells into the boiling water. Poach until the chicken is fully cooked. Once done, remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool. Shred the chicken and set it aside.
3. Remove the prawn shells from the pot and add the laksa paste. Stir until well combined. Blanch the rice noodles in the laksa broth, then remove noodles and set them aside in a separate bowl.
4. Mix the chicken stock powder and coconut milk into the laksa broth. Briefly blanch the cooked prawns and bean sprouts in the broth to warm them.
5. Top the rice noodles with the shredded chicken, prawns, bean sprouts and egg garnish.
6. Pour the laksa broth over the ingredients in the bowl.
7. Finish by garnishing the dish with fresh coriander leaves. You can also serve with extra laksa paste on the side for those who enjoy a spicier kick.

Note

For the egg garnish, whisk two eggs then cook in a flat layer in a pre-heated pan. Remove, roll up and slice thinly.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.