Curry Laksa (Kari Laksa) — Malaysian Coconut Noodle Soup

• 8dried red chiles (stemmed and seeded)
• 250 mlboiling water (for soaking chiles)
• 6Asian shallots (peeled and halved)
• 5 clovegarlic
• 2 stalklemongrass (tender lower thirds only, thinly sliced)
• 1 inchgalangal (peeled and sliced)
• 1 inchfresh turmeric (peeled and sliced)
• 4candlenuts (lightly toasted)
• 12 gbelacan shrimp paste (toasted until fragrant)
• 2 tbspMalaysian meat curry powder
• 2 tspground coriander
• 1 tspground cumin
• 45 mlneutral cooking oil
• 1000 mllow-sodium chicken stock
• 400 mlunsweetened coconut milk
• 20 mlfish sauce
• 12 gpalm sugar
• 6 gfine sea salt
• 300 gboneless skinless chicken breast
• 250 glarge raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 150 gsliced fish cake
• 120 gtofu puffs (halved)
• 400 gfresh yellow wheat noodles
• 100 gdried rice vermicelli
• 160 gbean sprouts (rinsed and drained)
• 2eggs (hard-boiled, peeled, and halved)
• 12 sprigVietnamese coriander leaves (also called daun kesum or laksa leaf)
• 2limes (cut into wedges)
• 4 tbspcooked sambal chile paste

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the dried chiles in 250 ml boiling water and soak them for 15 minutes until pliable. Drain them well, discarding the soaking water so the paste does not become overly bitter.

2. 2

   Blend the soaked chiles, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, candlenuts, toasted belacan, curry powder, coriander, and cumin into a smooth paste. Add 30 ml of the measured chicken stock only if the blender needs help moving, then scrape the sides until the mixture is evenly fine.

3. 3

   Heat the neutral oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and add the laksa paste. Fry it for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until the oil separates slightly and the raw shallot smell turns sweet and aromatic.

4. 4

   Pour in the remaining chicken stock gradually while stirring to loosen the paste from the bottom of the pot. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar, and sea salt, then bring the broth to a gentle simmer without letting it boil hard.

5. 5

   Add the chicken breast to the simmering broth and cook it for 14 minutes, turning once halfway through. Transfer the chicken to a board, rest it for 5 minutes, then shred it into bite-size strands.

6. 6

   Add the shrimp, sliced fish cake, and tofu puffs to the broth and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until the shrimp are just opaque. Keep the heat moderate because vigorous boiling can split the coconut milk and make the broth greasy.

7. 7

   Blanch the fresh yellow noodles in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain them thoroughly. Soak or cook the rice vermicelli according to the package timing, drain it well, and divide both noodles among 4 deep bowls.

8. 8

   Top each bowl with shredded chicken, shrimp, fish cake, tofu puffs, bean sprouts, and half a hard-boiled egg. Ladle over the hot coconut broth, then finish each serving with Vietnamese coriander, a lime wedge, and 1 tablespoon cooked sambal.