Craving something fresh and tasty but don’t have time to spend hours in the kitchen? This 20 minute laksa from the team at RecipeTin Eats is the solution for you!

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup (180 g) laksa paste1 (Por Kwan brand)
  • 400 ml full-fat coconut cream2
  • 4 cups (1 litre) low-salt chicken stock3
  • 250 g dried rice vermicelli noodles
  • 24 raw prawns4 (250 g), peeled and deveined (tails on or off)
  • 4 baby bok choy5, large stems cut in half lengthways so they’re roughly the same size
  • 8 fried tofu puffs6, cut in half
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp+ lime juice
To Serve
  • 1 1/2 cups (120 g) bean sprouts
  • Fresh coriander leaves (highly recommended)
  • 1 or 2 red bird’s eye chillies, finely sliced (optional)
  • 2 tbsp crispy fried shallots (optional)
  • Lime wedges

Cooking Instructions

Soup Broth
  1. Heat the oil in a small pot over medium heat.
  2. Add the laksa paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens in colour. Don’t shortcut this step, it’s key for good flavour in this fast laksa.
  3. Reduce the heat if it’s catching on the base of the pot.
  4. Stir in the coconut cream.
  5. Once small bubbles appear, simmer for 5 minutes.
  6. Stir in the stock, bring back up to a simmer, then cook for a further 5 minutes.
Noodles
  1. Meanwhile, prepare the noodles according to the packet directions. Drain well, shaking off any excess water and divide among four bowls.
Finish soup
  1. Add the prawns, bok choy and tofu puffs to the broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and lime juice.
Serve
  1. Ladle the soup broth and all the add-ins over the noodles.
  2. Top with bean sprouts, coriander leaves, chilli and crispy fried shallots (if using) and serve lime wedges on the side.
  3. Dig in!

Chef Notes:

  1. My favourite brand is Por Kwan, which is sold at Asian stores and some independent grocery stores. The laksa pastes made by mainstream Westernised Asian brands sold at grocery stores, tend to be too sweet and lack depth of flavour.
  2. Coconut cream, rather than coconut milk, is needed to give the broth sufficient flavour and richness to serve four people using just one can.
  3. I know it sounds strange to use chicken stock for a prawn laksa, but it’s far better than carton fish stock!
  4. This quick laksa relies on the juices of the prawns to add flavour into the soup broth. Fish can also be used with a similar flavour result. Use medium or large prawns – total 250 g peeled weight, or 400 g before peeling (whole, including head and shell). I personally find chicken does not make the soup as tasty, but if you really want to make this with chicken, use strips of boneless, skinless chicken thigh.
  5. Substitute with other leafy Asian greens, spinach or green beans.
  6. Fried tofu puffs have a puffy, spongy texture and soak up the soup broth so it squirts in your mouth when you bite into them – one of the signature joys of laksa! Find them in some larger grocery stores and Asian stores in the fridge section.

Leftovers:

Fridge 3 days, freezer 3 months. Keep noodles separate from the broth and add-ins.

Who knew you could create something so delicious in only 20 minutes! From Nagi Maehashi’s new cookbook TONIGHT, available for pre-order now for release on 15 October 2024. Inside you’ll find more delicious recipes that are quick to create, just like this 20 minute laksa.

For other hunger fix like Nagi’s 20 minute Laksa, check out Khanh Ong’s Bahn Tom Chien, the perfect cure for any hangover or lazy day.