This famous Malaysian soup is the perfect dish, year round. Its hearty noodles and warming broth make it comforting when the weather blusters and the rain comes down sideways. However, the fragrant, spicy base, fresh ingredients and balanced sour notes also make it refreshing on the hottest summer day.
This dish can be made with as many or as few seafood types as you’d like. It’s best to use whatever is fresh, local and sustainable.
This recipe was the subject of GoodFishBadFish’s journey to the Footscray fishmongers for the story “The Road to Sustainable Seafood Laksa”, published in The Casual Cyclist’s Guide to Melbourne.
For the laksa paste
2 red chillies
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbs grated ginger
4 shallots
1 bunch coriander roots
1 stalk lemongrass chopped
1 Tbs shrimp paste
2 Tbs ground coriander
2 Tsp turmeric
4 Tbs oil
salt
More ingredients
500g local Blue Mussels
20 peeled Prawns, preferably wild caught and from Australia
200g Squid or Calamari, sliced
400g white fish, cubed, try Bream, Flathead or Whiting
2 Cups water or fish stock
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
6 kaffir lime leaves
400g noodles, hokkien, vermicelli or a mix of the two
1 Cup bean shoots
1 Cup roughly chopped coriander leaves
2 Tbs grated palm sugar
2 Tbs fish sauce (or to taste)
Juice of 2 limes