Fish Laksa

Laksa is one of my favorite South East Asian dishes, here made with lovely white fleshed fish for a perfect, delicate and warming main dish.

This is my first post for 2016! I am really looking forward to this year - mainly because I am getting married in less than three months time!! It's going to be a busy but exciting year. And on the food front, I have so much deliciousness planned to share here with you all so watch this space!

Everyone that regularly reads my posts will be well aware that I have a small obsession with South East Asian food. It is my absolute favorite cuisine to both cook and eat so it's no surprise that I have chosen this gorgeous fish laksa as my first recipe of the year.

I don't cook recipes with fish very often, I love seafood but it's not something I always feel too confident in cooking properly. But in this Laksa, the fish is poached in the soup so it's super easy!

This creamy, spicy soup has all the flavors you expect from a Laksa. It's got the spicy, sweet, and sour all packed in there! It's also a great midweek meal as it's simple and quick to prepare, and good for you too!

Fish Laksa

Serves 4

Curry Paste:

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cm piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tsp cumin

1 bunch fresh coriander

Zest of 1 lime

1 tsp turmeric

3 red chilies, roughly chopped*

1 Tbsp lemongrass 

1 Tbsp shrimp paste

Curry:

200 g egg noodles

400 mL fish stock

1 400 mL can of coconut cream

400 g fresh fish fillets, divided into four portions

2 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp fish sauce

1 Cup mushrooms, sliced

To Serve:

Fresh coriander

Mung bean sprouts

Spring onion (scallion)

1. Make the curry paste by blitzing all of the curry paste ingredients together in a food processor.

2. Heat a large sauce pan over a medium heat and fry the curry paste for a couple of minutes, until very fragrant. Add the fish stock and coconut cream and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes, to allow the soup the thicken. Cook the noodles according to the package directions during this time.

3. Add the fish and poach for about 5-7 minutes, until the fish is cooked (it will start to fall apart). Add the fish sauce and lime juice and adjust the flavors to suit your tastes.

4. Divide drained cooked noodles between four bowls. Add a piece of fish to each bowl, pour over the laksa and top with fresh coriander and mung bean sprouts, and spring onion

* this is a rough guide only. We like quite a bit of heat in our meals so adjust the amount of chili accordingly. If you are just after a bit of warmth but no real heat then use 1 chili with the seeds and spine removed.