I adore curry and Malaysian Laska is my favourite of all curries. It’s light and fresh, and doesn’t require a lie down afterward.
I really like Laska with baked salmon, or prawns. But it’s just as good with veggies, chicken or tofu. For the carbohydrate, fresh rice noodles are best if you can get hold of them, otherwise just serve with brown rice.
The trick to this recipe is a short cooking time and ensuring you don’t cut up your vegetables too small, keep everything quite chunky and the veg will retain their bite (there's nothing worse than mushy veg).
I like to sprinkle it with fresh coriander and spring onions and sometimes serve it alongside my lime, mint and courgette salad!
Ingredients:
Coconut/ sesame or vegetable oil
3 shallots or 1 large leek
3 cloves garlic
5cm piece of fresh ginger
2 red chillis or lazy chilli
1 red pepper
2 carrots
½ fennel
2 heaped tbl turmeric
1 tbl ground coriander
1 tbl mirin rice wine
1 tbl soy sauce
1 tbl fish sauce
1 heaped tbl peanut butter
200ml water
1 chicken stock cube
1 can of light coconut milk
1 lime (zest & juice )
Method
Pre-prepare all of your vegetables - peel your carrots and cut into sticks/ cut your pepper and fennel into similar size sticks/ and cut your shallots (or leeks) into generous size chunks
Heat up your oil and cook your shallots (or leek) with chopped garlic
Saute on a gentle heat and add your dry spices, cook for 5 mins until a little soft and then grate in your ginger and add your chilli (you might want to add a little more oil to ensure the spices don’t stick)
In a separate bowl boil your water and crumble in your chicken stock - leave to dissolve
Throw in your carrots to the pan and add your soy, mirin and fish sauce - saute for another 2 mins
Next for your laska add your peanut butter and grate in your lime zest, then pour in the the water and give everything a good stir
Add your chopped fennel and red pepper and immediately pour in the coconut milk, and taste and adjust the seasoning if required
Turn up the heat slightly and leave to simmer for 7-8 mins
Add you mangetout (or green beans) and rice noodles and leave for 2 mins
Turn off the heat and your ready to serve alongside your salmon
I like to sprinkle with coriander and spring onion!
Comments