Singapore Laksa By Raymond Tan

- Makes 6 large portions

Singapore Laksa in all its golden glory by our favorite Peranakan boy Raymond Tan – enjoy this fool-proof, umami rich recipe.

Here are our top 4 tips to perfect your laksa,

Make your prawn broth from scratch by searing and simmering prawn heads (recipe in Note below).
Use rehydrated dried shrimp for umami. And don’t throw away that soaking liquid - use it instead of water in the recipe.
Use fresh herbs and spices for your rempah (spice-paste) and take your time when frying it.
And finally, use thick, fresh coconut milk for maximum flavor.

And do remember to let the laksa settle for a few hours before serving.

Ingredients for Singapore Laksa By Raymond Tan

Rempah
15 dried chillies
2 stalks lemongrass, 1 finely chopped and 1 bruised
12 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
2-inch ginger, chopped
4 candlenuts, rinsed
2-inch blue ginger (galangal), thinly sliced
2-inch turmeric, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon belachan, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant
¾ tablespoon coriander powder
½ cup oil
1 bunch Laksa leaves

50g dried shrimp, soaked in 1 cup warm water for 30 minutes – drain and mince shrimp
finely in a food processor in STEP 5 (the drained liquid can also be used for blending
Rempah in step 4)
1/4 cup oil
2 teaspoons sea-salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons sugar
1-2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 liters stock (preferably homemade with prawn heads – see note)
500ml thick coconut milk
10 taupok squares, cut into 1 cm pieces
1.2kg thick beehoon (about 200g per person)

Garnishes
18 prawns (deshelled, deveined, boiled)
6 hard boiled eggs (peeled and halved)
2 large fish cakes, sliced thinly (appr. 4 slices per person)
some laksa leaves, remove stalks and sliver
2 cups blanched beansprouts, for garnish
sambal tumis, for topping

Recipe

Soak dried red chilies in hot water for at least an hour until soft. Cut into smaller pieces using scissors.
Thinly slice the bottom half of a stalk of lemongrass. Smash and bruise the other stalk and set aside for frying later.
Place soaked chilies, 1 sliced lemongrass, shallots, garlic and ginger in a heavy blender and process until smooth.
Add in candlenuts, galangal, turmeric, belachan, and coriander powder. Continue to blend to a paste, adding a little shrimp soaking water or chili water if necessary.
Drain and place dried soaked shrimp in a food processor, and process until fine.
Heat ½ cup oil in a wok - add rempah mixture and bruised lemongrass. Fry over medium-low heat until fragrant and until oil separates (about 30-40 minutes). Add blended dried shrimp and fry over medium heat for another 5 minutes until fragrant. Add ¼ cup more oil, if necessary.
Add sugar and salt to taste, and fish sauce for umami.
Add laksa leaves and 2L stock– bring to the boil. Next, add the coconut milk and stir well. Do not let this broth boil vigorously or the coconut milk will separate and make the laksa very oily.
Add taupok slices. Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes until soft.
To serve: Quickly submerge and heat 200g portions of fresh beehoon in boiling water; place in serving bowls. Pour hot laksa topped with 3 prawns, 3 fish cakes, hard-boiled egg, livered laksa leaves, some beansprouts and some Sambal Tumis.