The first time I had this soup was in Singapore. When you take a sip of this soup, there are so many flavors bursting in your mouth- sweet, spicy, sour, salty! Laksa is a hearty and healthy coconut based soup. This soup is served with a number of sides of fresh vegetables and herbs. Rice noodles are cooked in this flavorful coconut broth. You can add tofu, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp to this soup per your taste. I personally believe it is Malaysia’s take on Ramen!  My dear friend Goutami also fell in love with this soup on her visit to Singapore. She requested me to recreate this soup so she could enjoy it in the USA as well. So this is my take on this mouthwatering Malaysian delicacy!

What you will need:

How to make it:

• To make the laksa paste add all the ingredients in a mixer and grind into a fine paste. Do not add water to grind the paste. Add oil instead.

  

• Heat a soup pot. Heat one tablespoon of oil.
• Add the white portion of the spring onions (finely chopped) and the laksa paste to the pot. Stir continuously and cook until it begins to release oil.
• Add the kefir leaves and chopped Thai chili and saute for a few minutes.
• Add stock to a pot along with the jaggery, salt, and coconut milk.
• Add 4 Thai basil leaves, the bamboo shoots and 1/8 cup of mushrooms.
• If you are adding chicken or meat, add it at this point.
• Let the broth come to a boil.
• In the meantime, heat water. Once it comes to a boil, add the rice noodles and cook until half cooked.
• Drain the water and add the noodles to the soup, once the soup has come to a boil.
• If you are adding shrimp, add it now and cook till done.
• Serve the soup with sides of shallots, fresh cilantro, spring onions, microgreens, sprouts, mushrooms, Thai basil and a squeeze of a lime.

  

• These will cook in the heat of the soup. Enjoy while hot!