Today people, I have applied myself to college work.
Yes, I know it is a MAJOR breakthrough. I swear it is the first time I have done anything constructive since Christmas.
😀
So, laksa! It is beautiful and reminds me very much of one of my all-time favourite BBC Good Food recipes: Thai Salmon Soup
Except that this is MY recipe and that makes me extra extra eager to share it with you 🙂 it is also a milder version for anyone who loves a punch of flavour without their nose running and eyes watering into their food…
It just summarises everything I love at the moment: Thai food (well actually it’s Malaysian but that sort of flavouring); LIME; coconut, noodles, squash, stir-fry vegetables… and surprisingly, scallops! See I have a bit of a seafood phobia due to various bad experiences, but I actually love these little things. They make me happy because now I use them interchangeably with prawns (which are the arch enemies of my taste buds) and so I feel I can tackle an even wider range of recipes 🙂
Serves 4
- approx 140g laksa paste (I found a 180g jar at my local supermarket – think of the cool things you could do for 1 with the leftovers!)
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 x 400g tin coconut milk
- 400ml chicken stock
- 200g scallops (I used frozen)
- 300g straight to wok rice noodles (though I would probably use more… I didn’t think 600g looked moderate enough :P)
- a good handful of beansprouts, baby sweetcorn, mange tout or other stir-fry type vegetables. Bamboo shoots would be great.
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- lime wedges, to serve
- Toss the prepared squash with the laksa paste in a large saucepan for a few minutes, until it is fragrant and the squash is coated nicely with the paste. Add the coconut milk and stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes depending on how big your cubes of squash are – they should be verging on tender, but nowhere near soft!!!Â
- Add the noodles, vegetables (not the spring onions) and scallops (straight from frozen if that’s what you’re working with), and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the noodles are tender, the scallops are cooked through but not rubbery aaaand the vegetables are hot but still crunchy.
- Serve into adequately sized (large) bowls and top with the spring onions. Serve with lime wedges – by which I mean squeeze half a lime into your bowl and swirl it all around. I don’t think it is negotiable actually.
P.S: This is the sort of meal that will dribble down your chin multiple times leaving you feel rather clumsy/messy but very warm and satisfied 🙂
P.P.S:Â I’d say a sticky chin/splattered clothes is a worthy sacrifice.
P.P.P.S: Forgive the extreme usage of brackets, forward slashes and p.s’s.
Looks absolutely delicious, Anna, and lemongrass … divine! Re: applying yourself again to college work, good job! Sometimes we all just need a little break from things and then we can back back to them with renewed enthusiasm and vigor =)
Thank you 🙂 I agree, you just can’t force some things whether you like it or not! Thanks for your positivity 🙂 xx
sounds lovely Anna x
Ta duck 🙂 xx
This looks delicious, but I’m unfamiliar with laksa. What’s the flavour profile like?
Thank you 🙂 it’s very much like Thai red curry… though the amount I used made it milder. You taste chilli, coriander, lemongrass… I’ll have to make my own one day in bulk and freeze it I love it so much! I hope this definition is okay 🙂
Sounds wonderful – thanks!