Laksa is a fragrant Malaysian style coconut curry. Rice noodles are bathed in a rich, spicy broth and then topped with roasted Brussels sprouts, blanched snow peas, and crispy tempeh cubes. I originally created this recipe for Nourish Bistro here in Banff with spaghetti squash as a noodle stand in! If you have a spiralizer, zucchini noodles are an option as well. Vegetable combinations are limitless! Get creative with whatever is seasonal! Roasted yam cubes are also a favourite! Glangal is occasionally available in our little Asian market under the movie theatre but if you can’t find it locally you can use fresh ginger in a pinch. Galangal has a sharper, more citrusy, almost piney flavour and creates a much brighter tasting broth. Next time you are in the city visit an asian market to stock up. It freezes well and grates easily frozen! I have lots if you want to come and get some!
Ingredients: Serves 4
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1/2 cup prepared curry paste (recipe follows)
- 3 cups of vegetable stock OR 3 cups of water and a heaping tsp. of Vegetable Better Than Bouillion
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. coconut sugar
- one recipe of roasted Brussels Sprouts (recipe follows)
- one recipe of crispy tempeh (recipe follows)
- a hand full of blanches snow peas ( to blanch, boil for one minute and then run under cold water to prevent further cooking)
- chopped roasted peanuts to garnish
- chopped cilantro to garnish
- wedge of lime to serve
- 4 cakes of Lotus Brand Millet Rice noodles or regular rice noodles cooked according to package instructions
The Curry Paste:
- 4 dried small red chilis (or 4 fresh red birds eye chilis)
- 5 whole black peppercorns
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 tsp. whole cumin
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. whole fennel seeds
- 2 peeled shallots (golf ball sized)
- a thumb sized piece of galangal
- a thumb sized piece of fresh turmeric, peeled
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 2 stalks of fresh lemongrass, peeled and minced. (Peel away the outer layer and use the bottom 4 in. only)
If using dried chilis, soak them in hot water until softened. Strain and combine either soaked chilis or fresh with the remaining ingredients until smooth. Feel free to add a bit of water to the blender to help it along and to create a smooth paste. Set aside.
The Broth:
- Heat coconut oil in a medium sized pot. Add 1/2 cup of the curry paste (you should use about half of it and can freeze the remaining paste to make another batch) and simmer over medium heat just until the paste begins to stick to the bottom of the pot. Add the stock or water and boullion, scraping the paste from the bottom of the pot as you stir.
Add the coconut milk, salt and sugar.
Bring to a boil. Taste and add more salt if desired.
The Brussels Sprouts:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove outer withered leaves from one cup of Brussels sprouts. Cut off the bottoms and then cut in half lengthwise. Drizzle a cookie sheet with a few tablespoons of oil and then sprinkle with sea salt. Arrange the Brussels sprouts cut side down on the oiled cookie sheet. Bake for about 1/2 hour or until the bottoms are browned and tender when pierced with a fork. They are best crispy and caramelized and even though they look burned, don’t taste burned!
The Tempeh:
- one pkg. of tempeh thawed and cubed into small 1/4 in. pieces
- 2 tbsp. tamari
- 3 tbsp. avocado or olive oil
Heat oil in a medium sized fry pan over medium heat. Add tempeh stirring often until it begins to brown. Add the tamari and continue to stir until the tamari has been absorbed and the tempeh is brown and slightly crispy on all sides. Feel free to add a bit more oil as it cooks as it tends to absorb quite a bit.
Final Assembly!
Place a pile of noodles into each of 4 bowls. Ladle the hot broth over top of the noodles. Arrange Brussels Sprouts, blanched snow peas, and crispy tempeh around the noodles. Top with lots of chopped fresh cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, chopped peanuts and a dollop of Sambal Olek if you want added spice!
