Curry Laksa! This truly is a feast! For the tummy and eyes. 🙂 I studied abroad in Malaysia and loved all the blending of flavors in Malaysian food. Curry Laksa is a Malaysian noodle soup, usually served with rice noodles. I added some soba noodles (buckwheat flour noodles) instead to make it a healthier version and topped it off with some baked tofu. I love all the colors and textures of different vegetables simmered in a gingery spiced coconut broth. I just threw in a bunch of vegetables that I had on hand, like spinach, broccoli, green onion, red pepper and mushroom. To prepare my tofu, I usually coat with some type of flour (usually gram flour) and bake in the oven at 350 until golden. Usually 30 minutes turned over half way.
I served this to my family with a non-vegan option of boiled egg on the side. It was light, yet filling and healthy! I hope you love it!
Vegetarian Curry Laksa
Ingredients
- 1 can of coconut milk
- 1 can vegetable broth
- Soba noodles
- Vegetables of choice: I used 1 red pepper 1 head of broccoli, 4 scallions, cut into large 2 inch pieces, a cup of sliced mushrooms, rinsed, and a bunch of spinach
- Any type of flour to coat the tofu I used chickpea flour
- Firm Tofu cut into cubes
For the curry paste:
- 1 inch nub ginger grated
- 2 shallots chopped
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 2-3 green chillies to taste
- 1 stalk lemongrass outer sheath removed (ok to omit)
- Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- In a skillet, heat 1-2 tbsp of oil (I prefer sunflower or a mild-flavored oil).
- In a blender, blend 2 chopped shallots, 2 cloves of garlic, grated, 1 inch nub of ginger, grated (1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste alternatively), 2-3 green chilies with a little bit of water 1-2 tsp soy sauce to combine
- As shallots become translucent, add 1 tbsp curry powder. If the curry powder does not have turmeric, add 1 tsp of turmeric. This is the curry paste.
- Now, you can add your veggies, reduce the heat and saute for a few minutes.
- Add 1 can of coconut milk and 1 can of vegetable broth and the chopped scallions and simmer. Add salt as needed.
- Right before you turn off the flame, add a bunch of spinach and stir. It will wilt down with the heat of the pot. Set aside.
To prepare soba noodles:
- In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and add soba noodles. The soba noodles won't need more than 3 minutes (check packaging instructions). Remove from flame immediately and give a thorough rinse with cold water. This will remove the starch and prevent clumping.
To prepare the tofu:
- Cube drained tofu in large chunks. Press to remove excess water. Coat lightly with oil and sprinkle each side with chickpea flour (I dip each side in the flour and lay it on a baking sheet). Season with salt and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, turning half way until golden.
