⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 cup Laksa Paste (recipe follows)
¼ cup dried shrimp, finely ground
750ml chicken stock
250ml coconut milk
2 stems lemongrass, cut into 7cm lengths
A good pinch salt
150g Squid, cleaned and honeycombed
12 medium green Prawns, peeled and deveined
100g Ling fillet, cut into bite-size pieces
100g flat rice noodles
4 deep fried tofu puffs, sliced
2 green onions, sliced finely
½ cup bean sprouts
½ lime, juiced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ bunch Vietnamese mint, to serve
½ bunch coriander, to serve
4 lime wedges, to serve

 

Laksa Paste
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, roasted and ground
3 teaspoons cumin seeds, roasted and ground
2 medium-sized dried red chillies, ground
2 brown onions, roughly chopped
1 x 2cm piece ginger, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic
4 candlenuts
1 long red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
½ teaspoon ground turmeric

Make Laksa Paste: combine all ingredients in a food processor to form a paste.

 

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry the Laksa Paste for 5-10 minutes, until the oil floats to the top. Add dried shrimp and stir through. Add chicken stock, coconut milk, lemongrass and salt. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally and simmer for 20 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, soak noodles in boiling water for 15-20 minutes, until soft. Divide drained noodles, tofu puffs, green onions and bean sprouts between 4 deep serving bowls.

Add fish pieces to the soup, then add the Prawns and, after 1 minute, the Squid. Remove from heat as soon as the fish turns white. Taste, and add lime juice and fish sauce to taste.

 

Ladle the soup into the bowls and top with Vietnamese mint leaves, coriander leaves and lime wedges.