Prawn laksa

Malaysian cuisine is a mashup of local Chinese, Thai and Indian influences, which makes their soups, curries and noodles dazzle with exotic spices, creamy coconut and hot chillies. What distinguishes laksa paste from red curry is the use of nuts. Traditionally it’s candlenuts, but they’re tricky to source so I use macadamias.

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 large portions

Prep 15 minutes Cook 20 minutes

6 macadamia nuts

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

75g yellow or red curry paste

250ml chicken stock

1 400g can coconut milk

2 whole star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

3 Tbsp tamarind puree

2 Tbsp palm sugar

2 Tbsp fish sauce

2 Tbsp lime juice

150g green beans, chopped

200g large raw prawns

200g thin rice vermicelli

100g pineapple large handful each of chopped coriander

(cilantro) and mint leaves pickled red chilli and shallots and crispy

fried shallots, to serve

Method

Using a mortar and pestle, crush the macadamia nuts to a fine paste.

In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil and add the curry paste and crushed macadamia nuts. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the stock, coconut milk, spices, tamarind, palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, then add the beans and prawns. Simmer for 23 minutes and remove from the heat.

Pour boiling water over the rice noodles and leave for 2 minutes or until soft. Cut the pineapple into 2cm batons.

Divide the noodles among four large bowls and ladle the laksa over.

Top with pineapple, coriander and mint and pickled red chilli and shallots. Serve with crispy fried shallots.

Note: The taste of this soup relies on using good stock.