Singapore Laksa

Method27 steps · about 2 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Rinse the 80–100 g dried shrimp, discard the rinsing water, and soak in enough hot water until fully softened. Keep the softened shrimp and its soaking liquid separate; reserve the liquid for moistening the rempah during blending.

   Uses 80–100 g dried shrimp · Water, as needed to wash produce and rinse dried shrimp and tofu puffs, discarded · Hot water, enough to soften dried shrimp; retain for blending the rempah as needed

2. 2

   Step 2: Wash all six fresh red chillies, remove the seeds and cut them into small pieces. Keep ready for the rempah.

   Uses 6 large fresh red chillies · Water, as needed to wash produce and rinse dried shrimp and tofu puffs, discarded

3. 3

   Step 3: Remove the seeds from all 25 whole dried red chillies and cut them up. Soak in enough hot water until fully softened, then drain and discard the soaking water.

   Uses 25 whole dried red chillies · Hot water, enough to soften dried chillies, discarded

4. 4

   Step 4: Wash and peel the thumb-sized galangal (1) piece, all 300 g shallots and the five rempah garlic cloves. Trim both lemongrass (2 stalks) stalks to their tender portions and slice finely for blending. Keep these separate from the 2 tsp chopped garlic for the stock.

   Uses 1 thumb-sized piece galangal · 300 g shallots · 5 cloves garlic for the rempah · 2 stalks lemongrass · Water, as needed to wash produce and rinse dried shrimp and tofu puffs, discarded

5. 5

   Step 5: Toast all 2 tbsp belachan in a dry pan until aromatic, without burning, then set aside for the rempah.

   Uses 2 tbsp belachan shrimp paste

6. 6

   Step 6: Wash all 10–15 laksa-leaf stalks. Strip off the leaves and cut the leaves into very fine strips. Keep the bare stalks separate for the gravy and reserve the leaf strips for serving.

   Uses 10–15 stalks laksa leaves · Water, as needed to wash produce and rinse dried shrimp and tofu puffs, discarded

7. 7

   Step 7: Trim the roots from all 500 g bean sprouts, wash and drain well. Keep ready to cook thoroughly later.

   Uses 500 g bean sprouts, roots trimmed · Water, as needed to wash produce and rinse dried shrimp and tofu puffs, discarded

8. 8

   Step 8: Rinse all six ready tofu puffs, squeeze out the rinsing water and cut each puff into four pieces.

   Uses 6 pieces ready tofu puffs (tau pok) · Water, as needed to wash produce and rinse dried shrimp and tofu puffs, discarded

9. 9

   Step 9: Use live shell-on cockles (½ kg) from an approved supplier; discard broken shells or animals that do not close when tapped. Put the ½ kg cockles in cold water with the separate ½ tsp purging salt and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Discard that water, then scrub the exterior shells under drinking water until clean. Keep the live cockles cold in a ventilated container under a damp clean towel until cooking.

   Cockle purge · 30 minUses ½ kg live shell-on cockles · ½ tsp salt for purging cockles, discarded · Water, as needed for cockle purging and exterior-shell scrubbing, discarded

10. 10

    Step 10: Keep the 500 g head-on, shell-on prawns refrigerated until poaching. Do not rinse raw prawns; keep their juices away from the prepared vegetables and cooked toppings.

    Uses 500 g medium head-on shell-on prawns

11. 11

    Step 11: Blend the prepared fresh and dried chillies, galangal, shallots, five garlic cloves, lemongrass, toasted belachan, all 1½ tbsp turmeric powder and seven candlenuts to a fine rempah. Add only enough retained dried-shrimp soaking liquid to help blending. Transfer the paste to a bowl; it will be thoroughly cooked in the frying stage.

    Uses All prepared fresh red chillies · All drained softened dried chillies · All prepared galangal, shallots, garlic and lemongrass · All toasted belachan · 1½ tbsp turmeric powder · 7 candlenuts · Only enough retained dried-shrimp soak water to help the blender run

12. 12

    Step 12: In the same blender, grind all the softened dried shrimp finely and transfer to a separate bowl.

    Uses All drained softened dried shrimp, separate from the reserved liquid

13. 13

    Step 13: Bring all 500 ml stock water to a boil. Add the prawns and poach over high heat for a few minutes, until the flesh is fully opaque and firm throughout. Lift out the cooked prawns with a clean utensil and retain all the poaching stock.

    Uses All 500 g shell-on prawns · 500 ml water for the prawn stock

14. 14

    Step 14: Peel the cooked prawns and cut their flesh lengthwise in half. Reserve the heads and shells separately for the stock. Keep the cooked flesh promptly refrigerated in a clean shallow covered container while making the gravy.

    Uses All cooked prawns lifted from their retained stock

15. 15

    Step 15: Heat the separate 1 tbsp stock-frying oil in a wok. Add all 2 tsp chopped stock garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the reserved prawn heads and shells and fry until aromatic, pressing the heads with a spatula to release their juices.

    Uses 1 tbsp oil for frying the stock garlic and prawn shells · 2 tsp chopped garlic for the prawn stock · All reserved heads and shells, separate from the cooked flesh

16. 16

    Step 16: Add all the retained prawn-poaching stock to the fried garlic, heads and shells. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Strain into a clean container, keeping the liquid and discarding the shells and other strained solids.

    Prawn stock extraction · 10 minUses All fried garlic, heads and shells with their oil · All retained prawn-poaching liquid, separate from the lifted prawns

17. 17

    Step 17: Heat all 250 ml rempah oil in a wok. Add the paste and fry over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring and scraping regularly, until fragrant and thoroughly cooked without burning.

    Fry the rempah · 30 minUses 250 ml oil for frying the rempah · All blended rempah

18. 18

    Step 18: Add all the ground dried shrimp to the cooked rempah and keep frying until fragrant. During frying, add 4 tbsp from the 750 ml coconut-milk supply a little at a time. Reserve the rest of that same coconut milk for the gravy.

    Uses All fried rempah and its oil · All ground dried shrimp · 4 tbsp drawn from the single 750 ml coconut-milk supply

19. 19

    Step 19: Add all the strained prawn stock to the fried rempah-and-shrimp mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, then transfer to a suitable pot.

    Uses All fried paste mixture, separate from the reserved coconut milk · All strained prawn stock, with solids removed

20. 20

    Step 20: Add all the reserved laksa stalks. Boil for 20 minutes, stirring constantly, then lift out and discard the stalks. Taste and add salt gradually from the separate 2½ tsp gravy allowance, using only as much as needed.

    Laksa-stalk infusion · 20 minUses All combined stock and fried paste · All reserved bare laksa stalks, separate from the garnish leaves · Salt from the 2½ tsp gravy allowance, only to taste

21. 21

    Step 21: Add the remaining coconut milk from the original supply and all the tofu-puff quarters. Heat uncovered over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, at a gentle simmer without a hard rolling boil; keep the coconut gravy smooth and hot throughout. Remove from the heat once heated through.

    Gently heat the coconut gravy · 5 minUses The gravy with stalks removed, separate from any unused salt · The remainder of the original 750 ml supply after the earlier 4 tbsp draw · All prepared tofu-puff quarters

22. 22

    Step 22: Bring enough clean cooking water to a full boil. Add the cleaned live cockles and let their shells open. Once they open, continue boiling for 3–5 minutes, checking from 3 minutes, until thoroughly cooked; discard any that remain closed. Drain and discard the cooking water, then remove the cooked meat from the shells. Cool promptly and refrigerate in a clean covered container until the immediate serving stage.

    Cook opened cockles thoroughly · 3 minUses All purged cockles, with purging water discarded · Water, enough to boil the cockles, discarded

23. 23

    Step 23: Peel the five ready hard-boiled eggs and halve them to make ten halves. Keep chilled until serving.

    Uses 5 ready hard-boiled eggs

24. 24

    Step 24: Slice both ready fried fish cakes (2 pieces) into strips. This selected route starts with fully cooked fried fish cake.

    Uses 2 pieces ready fried fish cake

25. 25

    Step 25: Put the sprouts and all 1 l room-temperature noodle-cooking water into a wok and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 2–3 minutes, checking from 2 minutes, until the sprouts are thoroughly hot and cooked. Lift out the sprouts immediately, keeping the cooking water in the wok for the noodles.

    Cook the sprouts · 2 minUses All cleaned 500 g bean sprouts · 1 l water for boiling sprouts, retained for blanching fresh noodles

26. 26

    Step 26: When ready to serve, return the retained water to a full boil. Blanch all 1 kg fresh thick bee hoon for 1–2 minutes, checking from 1 minute, until fully hot and tender. Drain well and discard the noodle-cooking water.

    Blanch the fresh bee hoon · 1 minUses The retained cooking water, separate from the lifted sprouts · 1 kg fresh thick rice vermicelli (bee hoon)

27. 27

    Step 27: Gently reheat the gravy if needed without a hard rolling boil. Add the cooked prawn flesh, cooked cockle meat and fish-cake strips and heat thoroughly; previously chilled cooked seafood must reach 74°C/165°F when reheated. Divide the hot noodles and cooked sprouts among ten bowls, add the hot seafood, tofu puffs and gravy, and put one egg half in each bowl. Scatter over the reserved laksa leaves and serve promptly with ready laksa chilli sambal.

    Uses All hot drained fresh noodles, separate from cooking water · All cooked sprouts lifted from the retained water · The hot coconut gravy and tofu-puff quarters · All cooked prawn halves, separate from the stock shells · All shucked cooked cockle meat, separate from shells and cooking water · All ten ready egg halves · All ready cooked fish-cake strips · Reserved finely cut laksa leaves, separate from discarded stalks