Recipes › Curry Laksa

Curry Laksa

Published 12 October 2026

Curry laksa is the coconut milk branch of the laksa family: a thick, orange, aromatic broth built on a spice paste, finished with coconut milk and poured over noodles, prawns, tofu puffs and beansprouts. It is a Malaysian and Singaporean staple, sold from stalls where the whole pot is cooked in the morning and ladled out all day. At home it is a two-stage dish: make the paste, then build the broth.

Ingredients

• For the paste: 10 dried red chillies, soaked
• 5 shallots
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3 cm fresh ginger
• 3 cm fresh galangal
• 2 lemongrass stalks, white parts
• 1 tablespoon belacan, toasted
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• For the broth: 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1.2 litres chicken stock
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• To serve: 300 g thick rice noodles or yellow noodles
• 200 g prawns, peeled
• 150 g tofu puffs, halved
• 150 g beansprouts, blanched
• 2 boiled eggs, halved
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• A handful of fresh mint and coriander

Method

1. Drain the soaked chillies and blend with the shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, belacan and ground spices into a smooth paste, adding a little oil to loosen it.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the paste for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens and the oil splits out at the edges. Do not shorten this. Under-fried paste leaves a raw, bitter note that coconut milk cannot hide.
3. Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes to let the paste infuse.
4. Add the coconut milk, salt and sugar. Bring back to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Do not boil hard or the coconut milk will split.
5. Add the tofu puffs and simmer for 5 minutes so they soak up the broth. Add the prawns and cook for 3 minutes until pink.
6. Taste and adjust: it should be rich, moderately hot, and slightly sweet. A squeeze of lime sharpens it if it tastes flat.
7. Blanch the noodles and beansprouts, divide between deep bowls, then ladle over the broth and toppings. Finish with egg halves, herbs and lime.

Notes and tips

• The paste can be made in double quantity and frozen in portions. It keeps three months and turns this into a twenty-minute dish.
• Toast the belacan in a dry pan before blending. Raw shrimp paste smells harsh and tastes muddier.
• If the broth splits, take it off the heat and whisk in two tablespoons of the coconut milk that you kept back, cold.
• Thick rice noodles hold the broth better than thin ones, which dissolve into it.
• Tofu puffs are essential rather than optional in most stalls: they are the sponge that carries the curry.

Questions

What is the difference between curry laksa and asam laksa?

Curry laksa is built on coconut milk and spice paste and is rich and creamy. Asam laksa is a sour fish broth with tamarind, no coconut milk, and a much sharper flavour. They are barely related beyond the noodles.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes. Make the paste up to three days ahead, or the whole broth up to two days ahead and reheat gently without boiling. The flavour improves overnight.

Is it very hot?

Moderately, and the coconut milk softens the edge considerably. For a milder version use six chillies and remove their seeds.

Can I use fish instead of prawns?

Firm white fish cut into chunks works well. Add it in the last four minutes so it does not break apart.

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