Takeaway at home:

warm up with a spicy Asian seafood soup

Seafood laksa SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 30 MINUTES

200g dried rice stick noodles

3 cloves garlic, peeled

3 fresh long red chillies, seeded, chopped coarsely

2 sticks lemon grass, white part only, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon water

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

½ cup (150g) good-quality laksa paste 3 cups (750ml) coconut milk

2 cups (500ml) salt-reduced chicken stock 800g uncooked king prawns, peeled, deveined, tails intact

500g boneless white fish fillets, cut into 3cm pieces

1 tablespoon palm sugar 1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

¼ medium (250g) wombok (Chinese cabbage), shredded finely

1 cup (80g) bean sprouts, trimmed Thai basil, fried shallots, sliced chilli and lime wedges, to serve

1 Place the noodles in a medium heatproof bowl; cover with boiling water. Stand for 5 minutes or until soft; drain.

2 Meanwhile, process the garlic, chilli and lemon grass in a small food processor. Add the water and process to a paste.

3 Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook the lemon grass mixture, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the laksa paste; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant.

4 Stir in coconut milk and stock; bring to the boil. Stir in the prawns and fish; bring to just below boiling. Add the sugar, sauce, juice and wombok. Cook for a further 1 minute or until prawns and fish are just cooked through. Remove from the heat.

5 Divide the noodles and prawns between four warmed bowls; top with soup, sprouts, basil, shallots and chilli. Serve with lime wedges. Not suitable to freeze. Suitable to microwave.