Vegan Laksa! STAPLE

I LOVE a good laksa but it's hard to find a really good one in Perth, particularly a vegan one! Thankfully we found this stellar recipe on The Everyday Veggie that we just love and this meal has become a staple in out weekly menu :D

Everyday Veggie Laksa Paste Recipe

You’ll need:
(Makes enough to feed 8 )
3 red chillies
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 white onion, chopped
2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, chopped
3cm piece galangal, peeled and chopped
1 small handful cashew nuts
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tbsp lime juice

Method:
Heat the coriander, paprika, cumin and turmeric in a pan for several minutes until fragrant
Place the spices in a blender or food processor with all other ingredients and blend into a fine paste
Place into an airtight container, ready for use!

Everyday Veggie Laksa Recipe

I’ve been a little vague on the amount of tofu and rice noodles, as for me, this is very subjective. I love rice noodles and shove them in there like there’s no tomorrow, but I hang back a little on the tofu. You can either use those pre-fried tofu blocks you get in Asian grocery stores, or you can fry your own up before you start cooking; no matter, they both work great!

You’ll need:
(Feeds 4)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons Vegan Laksa Paste 
3 cups veg stock
2 cups full-fat coconut milk
1 cup water
1 large head broccoli, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
enough fried tofu blocks for 4
enough dried rice noodles to feed 4
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 large handful bean sprouts
4 spring onions, sliced
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
slices of lime

Method:
Heat the sesame oil in a large wok, and fry the Laksa Paste until it is fragrant
Add in the coconut milk, water and veg stock and stir well
Add the broccoli and carrot into the mixture, and cook on high until mostly tender; about 5-10 minutes
While cooking, place the rice noodles in a bowl of hot water. If you’re using thicker noodles, heat them in a small pan over a medium heat
Add in the tomato and tofu blocks, and stir well
Stir in the brown sugar
When the noodles are soft and the vegetables are tender, divide the noodles out between the 4 bowls
Ladle the soup onto the noodles, diving it between the bowls
Top each soup with bean sprouts, spring onions, mint leaves and coriander, and serve with 2 slices of lime

The great thing, to me, about Laksa is that you can change it so much to suit your own taste. For example, I like my Laksa a little more limey, so I tend to throw a little lime in there with the coconut milk. If you prefer it thicker, you could leave out the water and replace it with coconut cream. The possibilities are endless.

You can use whatever veggies you want really - our faves are pak choy, kai lan, bean sprouts, broccoli and carrot. The tomatoe and bean sprouts are essential. We add the bean sprouts in at the very end of the cooking process rather than just on top after. And we often use sliced cabbage (along with the bean sprouts) instead of or as well as noodles to make it lower in carbs. Which may make it technically not a laksa, as laksa is usually a Peranakan (Malay and Chinese combo) spicy noodle soup, but whatevs - the sliced cabbage looks like noodles! And tastes better if you ask me. 

We also cheat sometimes and use Five Tastes Thai Red Curry Paste instead of making our own (fresh galangal is super hard to find!! Booooo! Plus it's quicker and easier XD ). We always use Beijing Soyabean products chilli and/or garlic tofu that is ready to use and isn't fried. You can find it in most Coles fridge sections. 

DELISH!!