Shrimp Laksa

For people who have been following me for some time now, I apologise for not featuring any recipes. We just moved house and were busy packing and unpacking for last few weeks. Our internet connection got restored yesterday. 

I have been to a few western countries but Australia is the only western place where I found Laksa. People here love it and is one of the favourite meals as lunch. I was very skeptical in the beginning to try it as I was unsure about the ingredients that go in it. After a year and a half, I gathered the courage and tried it. I loved it so much that I couldn't wait to try it at home. My first attempt was brilliant and since then I repeated it many times.

Ingredients:

1 packet of cooked shrimp

1/2 cup of grated carrot

1/2 cup of finely chopped Chinese cabbage

1 cup of thin rice noodles

1 can of light coconut milk

For Laksa Paste

3 large dried chillies 

1 tablespoon shrimp paste
6 shallots
5 cloves garlic 
4 kaffir lime leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves 
3 fresh chillies
2 stalks lemon grass roughly chopped 
1 large knob fresh galangal or ginger, roughly chopped 
1 teaspoon ground turmeric 
2 teaspoons ground cumin 
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preparation time: 50 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

For laksa paste blend all the ingredients in the blender until smooth paste. Heat the oil in a wok and add the blended paste to the oil. Sauté until the oil separates from the paste. Keep aside. Cook the grated carrots and Chinese cabbage in a pot of water and drain the water. Add the thin rice noodles to cold water and set aside for 15 mins until the noddles are soft. 

Add the laksa paste to a wok and add the coconut milk to the laksa paste. Add 1 cup of water to the laksa. In a bowl add the noddles at the bottom then add the carrot and cabbage mix. Place 4/5 cooked shrimps on the cabbage mixture. Pour the hot laksa in the bowl until all the ingredients are submerged. Enjoy the hot and spicy laksa.