Curry Laksa

I adapted this soup from a recipe recently printed in The Guardian Weekend magazine.

This soup reminded me of my favorite meal at Zao, an old San Francisco restaurant, which looks like it's still operating, just not in SF. It was spicy and slithery and makes your nose run and splatters all over. Even so, it's warm and delicious and really worth the effort.


Ingredients:

100 grams peeled baby shallots
4 garlic cloves
25 grams peeled ginger, sliced
15 grams lemongrass (soft white stem only), sliced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
3 large dried red chillies*
2 tablespoons sambal oelek (or other chilli paste) I used sriracha sauce
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
50 grams fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 1/4 litres vegetable stock
3 branches laksa leaves, or curry leaves, or both
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
400 ml coconut milk (14 ozs)
100 grams rice noodles
300 grams bean sprouts
150 grams edamame
1 block smoked tofu
4 limes

Put the first seven ingredients in a food processor, with 2 tablespoons of oil and, and the coriander and process until a smooth paste forms.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large sauce pan and fry the spice paste over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring the entire time.

Add the stock, laksa branches, curry powder, salt and coconut milk and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the edamame. One minute later add the bean sprouts and the rice noodles. After two minutes drain the pot and add the contents to the broth.

Serve in bowls and top with tofu and lime juice.
*I didn't use the red chillies because my roomate is sensitive to heat. I can't imagine how spicy it would be with the chillies...only Anne would be able to stand it.