Curry laksa
Photo: Alpha · CC BY-SA 2.0

History

Curry laksa grew out of the Peranakan and Chinese Malaysian kitchens of the peninsula, where a spiced coconut curry broth was poured over noodles and whatever protein was to hand. In the Klang Valley the dish is often simply called curry mee, and stalls load it with tofu puffs, long beans, cockles, chicken or pork and a dark sambal on top. It is distinct from Penang's sour assam laksa, which uses a tamarind fish broth. Kuala Lumpur eats it for breakfast: at Madras Lane off Petaling Street it comes loaded with yong tau foo, and kopitiams such as Yi Feng in Taman OUG serve it with char siew or poached chicken from RM 11.50.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Shellfish, Soy

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 45 minTotal 1 hr 15 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 6 shallots, 4 cloves garlic, 2 stalks lemongrass, 1 thumb galangal, 1 thumb turmeric
  • 10 dried chillies, soaked
  • 1 tbsp belacan (shrimp paste), toasted
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 litre chicken stock
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • 8 tofu puffs, halved
  • 100g long beans, cut
  • 200g cooked chicken, shredded
  • 200g yellow noodles and 200g rice vermicelli, blanched
  • 100g bean sprouts
  • Sambal and lime to serve
  • Oil, salt and sugar

Method

  1. Blend the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, chillies and belacan to a paste.
  2. Fry the paste in 4 tbsp oil for 10 minutes, add the curry and coriander powders and fry 5 minutes more until the oil separates.
  3. Add the stock and simmer 15 minutes, then stir in the coconut milk, tofu puffs and long beans and simmer 10 minutes; season with salt and a pinch of sugar.
  4. Divide the noodles and bean sprouts among bowls and top with chicken.
  5. Ladle over the hot broth and finish with sambal and a squeeze of lime.

Tip from the editors. Add the coconut milk last and keep the broth below a rolling boil so it stays smooth instead of splitting.

Where to eat curry laksa

Curry laksa in Kuala Lumpur

Madras Lane Curry Mee ★ 4.1

$ Chinese MalaysianPetaling StreetCash only

Madras Lane Curry Mee off Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur has ladled curry noodles loaded with yong tau foo over the same corner for decades.

TryCurry noodles with yong tau foo

TipThe bowl sells out most mornings, so aim to arrive well before 10am.

Directions

Yi Feng Restaurant ★ 4.1

$ Chinese MalaysianTaman Overseas Union

Yi Feng Restaurant runs a bright, modern kopitiam in Taman OUG, Kuala Lumpur, pouring curry laksa and salted cham ping topped with cheese foam.

DrinkSalted cham ping with cheese foam

TipThe curry laksa comes with a choice of char siew, siew yoke or poached chicken from RM11.50.

Directions

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