Name: Joo Chiat prawn laksa with dill
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Singaporean
Ingredients: 300 g whole uncooked tiger prawns; 4 heaped tbsp unsalted toasted cashew or candlenuts; 4 cloves garlic; 5 cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 tsp each of salt, peppercorns and coriander seeds; 4 shallots, roughly chopped; 2 x 400 ml cans coconut milk; vegetable oil; 1 heaped tbsp dried shrimp; 250 g rice vermicelli noodles, prepared according to the packet instructions, rinsed and drained; 4 small red birdseye chillies, chopped; 2 large dried red chillies, chopped; 1 tsp shrimp paste or 2 tbsp fish sauce; 2 tsp caster sugar; 1 small bunch dill or coriander, chopped; 2 sticks lemongrass, trimmed and chopped

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Food and Travels

By Alastair Hendy

Published 2004

About

Laksas are age-old fusion food. A touch of Thailand, a soupcon of Vietnam, a bit of Bali and a shred of Laos: little snippets of Asia, slung together in one beautiful fragrant Malay-style noodled curry. For the authentically minded, fried pressed beancurd or fish cake, cut into strips, can be bunged in too - these can also be bought vac-packed from Oriental stores. If you have a mortar and pestle, use it here, as the hand-pounded ingredients will lend an e