oliveoilandlemon

The weather is mad here again – temperatures are pretty cool, there is monsoon rain forecast but that makes it perfect weather for a hot steamy laksa. These are great for getting your daily quotient of veggies into you and the possibilities for variety are endless if you have beans, peas, leaves, beansprouts. Leave out the meat if you fancy a meat free day or use fish if you prefer – delicious with sea bass, mussels etc. I see many recipes for laksa’s around but I’m always struck by how few of them finish with the seasoning of fish sauce, palm sugar and or lime juice. I always do as I think the flavour is just flat if you don’t include them.

1 tbsp rapeseed oil
70gr red thai curry paste
400gr rice noodles soaked
400gr chicken breast sliced thinly
2 spring onions chopped
1 stalk lemongrass trimmed and very finely chopped
1 clove garlic chopped and mashed
1 tin coconut milk
500ml chicken stock
100gr mange tout
100 gr peas
1 red pepper julienned
2 tbsp chopped coriander
juice of half a lime
fish sauce – 1 tbsp
palm sugar – 2 tsp
75gr washed spinach

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic, spring onion and lemongrass and cook until softened.
Add the curry paste and cook out for a few minutes until it starts to release its oils.
Add the coconut milk stock and bring to the boil, add the chicken and noodles and cook for a few minutes until the chicken is cooked through – probably about 4 minutes if you have sliced it really thinly.
Add the peas and mangetout and cook until they are tender – about 2 minutes.
Season to taste with the fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar.
Place a handful of spinach into the bottom of each serving bowl, spoon over the delicious laksa and sprinkle the chopped coriander on top to serve – delicious and full of healthy nutrients. If I have any roasted cashews about the house, I often break them up and sprinkle on top too – food for the soul in a bowl!