Sunday, March 18, 2007

Vegetarian Laksa

Laksa is spicy noodle soup which is very popular in Singapore and Malaysia. Shrimp paste, dried shrimps and cockles are the important ingredients used in cooking laksa. This vegetarian recipe takes away the shrimps and uses straw mushrooms to substitute the cockles.

Preparation: 30 mins Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients (serves 3)
° 300g rice vermicelli or hokkien mee, blanched
° 120g beansprout, tailed and blanched
° 3 pieces tofu puff (big), sliced
° 450ml-500ml fresh coconut milk
° 6 vegetarian fishballs (optional)
° 750ml water
° 60g laksa leaves (with stalk)
° 15 straw mushrooms, halve
° a small handful finely shredded laksa leaves
° salt and sugar, to taste

Laksa Paste (makes 125g)
° 75g onions or shallots, chopped
° 6 dried chilli, chopped
° 1 stalk lemon grass, peel off outer layers, cut out 7.5cm, chopped
° 1 thick slice galangal, chopped
° ½ thumb-sized fresh turmeric, chopped
° 1 candle nut, chopped
° 1 teaspoon vegetarian belacan
° 5-6 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
° ½ teaspoon salt
° 1-2 teaspoons sugar

Method
1. Grind laksa paste ingredients until fine and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the laksa paste and fry for 10 minutes or until thickened and fragrant. Set aside.
3. Place the laksa leaves and water in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove all the laksa leaves with a slotted spoon and discard. Stir in the laksa paste, coconut milk, tofu puffs, vegetarian fishballs and bring to a boil. Season with salt and sugar to taste.
4. To serve, divide beansprouts, rice vermicelli/hokkien mee and straw mushrooms between serving bowls. Ladle the laksa soup into individual serving bowls and sprinkle some shredded laksa leaves.

Tip
1. To make vegetarian cockles, place 15 straw mushrooms (halve or sliced) in a pot. Stir in 5 tablespoons light soy sauces, 6 tablespoons water, 2-3 tablespoons sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer until sauces thicken.
2. Unsweetened soy milk can be used to replace coconut milk, if desired.

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi,

I am so delighted and happy to see this site, I have been searching a lot on the web for vegetarian recipes from Malaysia and am going to try the Chinken Rice recipe this weekend.

Can't wait.

Jutika

a veg*n @ Blog*Spot said...

Hi Jutika

:) Thanks. I used to have difficulties finding vegetarian recipes for S'pore and Malaysia local foods. And therefore, decided to modify from the non-vegetarian recipes and come up with vegetarian one.

Hope you will like the veg. chicken rice (i have 2 versions, but prefer more to the one using lemongrass)

Happy cooking :)

Anonymous said...

Hi crystal,

i am a singaporean living in south africa and i would like to know where do you get vegetarian belachan in singapore and if they keep well if posted to south africa?

a veg*n @ Blog*Spot said...

Hi

WOW, living in Africa, must be real interesting :)

Most of the vegetarian stalls carry stock. But so far, I found the powder form in the shop at Fortune Centre, here is the address and picture of that shop

http://crystalmisc.blogspot.com/2009/02/vegetarian-food.html

Both the round ball or the powder fourm are packed in plastic bag (sealed) and no problem in shipping or storing, it is not that type with short expiry date.

Keep them in frigerator is the best.

No problem.

Cheers :)

aakish said...

hey,
thanks SO much for this!
gonna make it tmr night!

Anonymous said...

Nice recipe.
i'm from malaysia.
Hardcore Straight Edge Animal Friendly.
Most are my friends who are eat animal.
But certain my friends do animal friendly.
At my home town its hard to find restaurant who make Vegetarian food.
So i make a decision to cook my own meal.
With your recipe its help me a lot.
Thanks yeah!!!
;P


iheartsunsun.blogspot.com

a veg*n @ Blog*Spot said...

Hi Muhammad Ichsan

Nice to see your comment here. I am glad that these recipes can be of some use.

Enjoy cooking and creating more Muhammad Ichsan's Vegetarian food :)

Have a good week.

Cheers :)

geet said...

Hi, where do I get the vegetarian belacan?

a veg*n @ Blog*Spot said...

Hi Geet

You can try to get them at vegetarian stall or shop :)

Cheers :)

Recipes for steak said...

Nice info , Dishes like these are always preferred by me which are easy to cook and serve in less time and does't need any rocket nice for cooking.

a veg*n @ Blog*Spot said...

Hi,

Thank you :)

Cheers

Unknown said...

this looks yummy .... cam frm Kootu page and being a vegetarian love to try this recipe..bookmarked

vegetarian recipe said...

hello...

this "mee",do you mean is noodles?
thank you for the recipe

a veg*n @ Blog*Spot said...

Hi Vegetarian Recipes,

Yes, you are right. It can be hokkien mee, yellow noodle, or it can be any other noodle as long as you like it.

cheers :)

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