Laksa Lemak
This spicy soup is not a dish you can throw together in 20 minutes, but it is marvellous party food. Guests spoon noodles into wide soup bowls, add accompaniments of their choice, top up with soup and then take a few prawn crackers to nibble.
Ingredients
- 675g / 1½lb small clams
- 2 x 400ml / 14fl oz cans coconut milk
- 50g / 2oz ikan bilis (dried anchovies)
- 900ml / 1½ pints / 3¾ cups water
- 115g / 4oz shallots, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 6 macadamia nuts or blanched almonds, chopped
- 3 lemon grass stalks, root trimmed
- 90ml / 6 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1cm / ½in cube shrimp paste (blachan)
- 25g / 1oz / ¼ cup mild curry powder
- a few curry leaves
- 2-3 aubergines, total weight about 675g / 1¼lb, trimmed
- 675g / 1½lb raw peeled prawns
- 10ml / 2 tsp sugar
- 1 head Chinese leaves, thinly sliced
- 115g / 4oz / 2 cups beansprouts, rinsed
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 50g / 2oz crispy fried onions
- 115g / 4oz fried beancurd (tofu)
- 675g / 1½lb mixed noodles (laksa, mee and behoon) or one type only
- prawn crackers, to serve
Preparation
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- Scrub the clams and then put in a large pan with 1cm / ½in water. Bring to the boil, cover and steam for 3-4 minutes until all the clams have opened. Drain. Make up the coconut milk to 1.2 litres / 2 pints / 5 cups with water. Put the ikan bilis (dried anchovies) in a pan and add the water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the shallots, garlic and nuts into a mortar. Cut off the lower 5cm / 2in of two of the lemon grass stalks, chop finely and add to the mortar. Pound the mixture to a paste.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy pan, add the shallot paste and fry until the mixture gives off a rich aroma. Bruise the remaining lemon grass stalk and add to the pan. Toss over the heat to release its flavour. Mix the shrimp paste (blachan) and curry powder to a paste with a little of the coconut milk, add to the pan and toss the mixture over the heat for 1 minute, stirring all the time, and keeping the heat low. Stir in the remaining coconut milk. Add the curry leaves and leave the mixture to simmer while you prepare the accompaniments.
- Strain the stock into a pan. Discard the ikan bilis, bring to the boil, then add the aubergines; cook for about 10 minutes or until tender and the skins can be peeled off easily. Lift out of the stock, peel and cut into thick strips.
- Arrange the aubergines on a serving platter. Sprinkle the prawns with sugar, add to the stock and cook for 2-4 minutes until they turn pink. Remove and place next to the aubergines. Add the Chinese leaves, beansprouts, spring onions and crispy fried onions to the platter, along with the clams.
- Gradually stir the remaining ikan bilis stock into the pan of soup and bring to the boil. Rinse the fried beancurd in boiling water, cool slightly and squeeze to remove excess oil. Cut each piece in half and add to the soup. Lower the heat to a very gentle simmer.
- Cook the noodles according to the instructions, drain and pile in a dish. Remove the curry leaves and lemon grass from the soup. Place the noodles, soup and the platter of seafood and vegetables on the table, along with a bowl of prawn crackers. Guests can then help themselves.
VARIATION
You could substitute mussels for clams if preferred. Scrub them thoroughly, removing any beards, and cook them in lightly salted water until they open. Like clams, discard any that remain closed.
COOK'S TIP
Dried shrimp or prawn paste, also called blachan, is sold in small blocks and is available from Asian supermarkets.
Serves 6.