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    Home > Quick Dinner Recipes

    Seafood Laksa

    Published: Mar 13, 2023 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Go to Video Print Recipe
    Top image of Haddock and prawn laksa curry in a bowl with topping of chillies, cucumber and coriander. Partial second bowl in background. Bottom image showing landscape image of laksa curry.

    This Thai-inspired seafood laksa is a great way to get a fabulous spicy noodle dish on the table quickly, using only one pan and ready in less than 30 minutes.  If you like spicy Thai food like I do, then you will LOVE this!

    Seafood laksa in a white bowl, on a wooden table. There is a napkin, spoon and ingredients scattered around.
    Jump to:
    • 📋 What do we need?
    • 📺 Watch how to make it
    • 🍲 More Thai-inspired recipes
    • Seafood Laksa
    • 💬 Reviews

    This Seafood Laksa is heaven in a bowl.

    A slurpy, splash-orange-coloured-sauce-down-your-white-top-in-enthusiastic-eagerness kind of soup, that makes you look at your husband’s bowl to see if he has any left that you could steal.

    That's how good this soup is. It’s also on the table in less than half an hour.

    I first had laksa soup in a Thai restaurant many years ago, and I adored all the flavours and textures.  I may have mentioned before that Thai is my favourite kind of food, and seafood laksa is such a great way to get a fabulous meal on the table quickly, using only one pan.

    📋 What do we need?

    For the Laksa paste

    Ingredients for laksa paste on a wooden board

    For the Curry and Garnish

    Ingredients for seafood laksa (except for the laksa paste, which is in another image) on a wooden board.

    📺 Watch how to make it

    Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    I make my own laksa paste for this recipe. Most store-bought versions are a good alternative, but it's pretty quick to make your own paste. Plus you can control the heat level.

    I like to cook my paste ingredients before blending them. I find that cooking the paste ingredients first, gives the whole dish a deeper level of flavour.


      👩‍🍳PRO TIP You can use ready-cooked vermicelli noodles if you like. Run them under some boiling water in a colander/sieve to heat through before placing in the bowl.

      Close up of seafood laksa in a white bowl topped with a chilli-coriander and red onion garnish.

        From my research, it seems that most laksa curry/soup recipes, whether from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand or Indonesia, have the same basis of noodles, with seafood or chicken in a spicy coconut sauce. There's also a variation called Asam Laksa, that doesn't use coconut milk, but it uses fish paste and tamarind for a more sour, rather than creamy taste.

        Believed to have originated as a combination of Chinese noodle soup (brought over by early Chinese migrants settling in Malacca, Malaysia) and local spices and coconut milk, it falls firmly under the label of Peranakan cuisine.

        Overhead image of seafood laksa in a white bowl on a wooden table. There is a spoon, blue napkin, a garnish bowl, a second bowl of laksa and some chillies and coriander around the main bowl.

        My version came about when I was pondering what to do with leftover haddock (I’d defrosted too much after making fish burgers and matchstick fries the previous night) and some prawns that I’d forgotten to put back in the freezer.


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        Square image of seafood laksa in a white bowl on a dark surface. The laksa is topped with a coriander-chilli-red onion garnish.

        Seafood Laksa

        By: Nicky Corbishley
        Got a Thai food craving?  Why not try this super delicious Thai Seafood Laksa.  A great way to get a fabulous Thai meal on the table quickly, using only one pan and ready in less than 30 minutes.  If you like Thai food like I do then you will LOVE this!
        5 from 6 votes
        Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
        Prep Time 10 minutes mins
        Cook Time 20 minutes mins
        Total Time 30 minutes mins
        Course Soup
        Cuisine Singapore, Thai
        Servings 4 servings
        Calories 517 kcal

        Ingredients
         

        Laksa Paste (note 1)

        • 3 tbsp oil
        • 1 onion - peeled and chopped
        • 4 red chillies - roughly chopped - I use fresno chillies. Use Thai chillies if you like it really hot
        • 2 tsp ginger paste
        • 2 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
        • 1 tsp lemongrass paste
        • 1 heaped tbsp of fresh coriander stalks - (you can use the leaves for garnish later)
        • 1.5 tsp turmeric
        • ½ tsp cumin
        • ½ tsp paprika
        • 1 tsp tamarind paste

        Soup:

        • 200 ml (7 fl oz) full-fat coconut milk
        • 1 tsp fish sauce
        • 200 ml (7 fl oz) chicken or seafood stock
        • 2 cod or haddock fillets - (weighing approx 140g/5oz each) or any firm fleshed white fish, skin removed
        • 200 g (7oz) dried rice/vermicelli noodles - (or 300g-400g of ready-cooked vermicelli noodles)
        • 12-16 king prawns - peeled and deveined
        • 200 g (7oz) beansprouts - (mung bean sprouts)

        Garnish:

        • 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
        • 1 tsp caster sugar - (superfine sugar)
        • 1 red chilli - chopped finely
        • 1 finger sized piece of cucumber - chopped finely
        • ¼ of a small red onion - peeled and chopped finely
        • Small handful of chopped coriander (cilantro)

        INSTRUCTIONS
         

        • Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and add the chopped onions. Cook on medium for about 5 minutes until the onions soften and start to turn translucent.
          3 tbsp oil, 1 onion
        • Add in the rest of the Laksa paste ingredients, stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
          4 red chillies, 2 tsp ginger paste, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp lemongrass paste, 1 heaped tbsp of fresh coriander stalks, 1.5 tsp turmeric, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp paprika, 1 tsp tamarind paste
        • While the laksa paste ingredients are frying, make the garnish. To a small bowl, add the vinegar, sugar, chilli, cucumber, red onion and coriander. Stir together, then put to one side.
          1 tsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp caster sugar, 1 red chilli, 1 finger sized piece of cucumber, ¼ of a small red onion, Small handful of chopped coriander (cilantro)
        • Turn off the heat from the frying pan and transfer the onions-chilli-spice mixture to mini chopper or food processor. Blend together until it forms a paste (alternatively you can use a stick blender to blend the ingredients into a paste directly in the pan, but be careful of splashes)
        • Add the laksa paste back into the frying pan.
        • Turn the heat to medium-high and add the coconut milk, fish sauce and stock. Stir together and heat through until just simmering.
          200 ml (7 fl oz) full-fat coconut milk, 1 tsp fish sauce, 200 ml (7 fl oz) chicken or seafood stock
        • Add the fish, stir, and allow to cook for 4 minutes, turning a couple of times, until the fish is starting to fall apart.
          2 cod or haddock fillets
        • While the fish is cooking, soak the noodles in boiling water until soft (this usually takes about 3 minutes) then drain.
          200 g (7oz) dried rice/vermicelli noodles
        • Coming back to the laksa, add in the prawns, stir, and cook for an one minute. The prawns should be starting to turn pink, and your fish should be cooked.
          12-16 king prawns
        • Finally add in the beansprouts and cook for another minute, so they're warmed through, but still slightly crisp. Turn off the heat.
          200 g (7oz) beansprouts
        • Divide the drained noodles between bowls and spoon the laksa sauce and seafood over the top.
        • Top each bowl with a spoonful of the garnish you made earlier, and serve.

        Video

        ✎ Notes

        Note 1 - Laksa paste:
        If you don't want to make your own laksa paste, you can use store bought. They vary in strength, so read the side of the bottle to work out how much you need for four portions.
        How do I make Chicken Laksa instead?
        Yes, you can simply replace the haddock and prawns with cooked shredded chicken. Alternatively, you can add pieces of raw chicken in with the blended paste and cook until the chicken is sealed. Add the coconut milk and stock and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, then continue on with the rest of the recipe steps.
        Can I freeze Laksa?
        The noodles, seafood and beansprouts won't freeze very well. If you want to get ahead, I'd suggest making the paste, and freezing it in portions. Then you can defrost and continue with the recipe from step 4 (make the garnish on the day of serving too).
        Can I make low-fat Laksa?
        You could use low fat coconut milk, although being lower fat, it has more of a tendency to split. To counter this, I'd suggest leaving out the coconut milk until the end of cooking, then add the low-fat coconut milk to the laksa and heat through until hot. Don't let it boil or it will split.
        Can I make ahead for lunch the next day?
        If you want to prepare this for lunch to take to work the next day, then make the soup up to the point just before you add the beansprouts, cool and refrigerate. Then just reheat the sauce for a couple of minutes in a pan or the microwave, throw in the beansprouts for a final minute and pour over your pre-cooked noodles.
        Nutritional information approximate, per serving (this recipe serve 4).

        Nutrition

        Calories: 517kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 21gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 757mgPotassium: 699mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 970IUVitamin C: 92.9mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 4.4mg
        Keywords easy, prawns, quick, seafood, shrimp, Spicy soup, Thai soup
        Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

        This recipe was first published in 2014. Updated in March 2018 and then again in March 2023 with new photos and video plus some housekeeping.

        Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

        Hi I’m Nicky

        I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

        Read More

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        1. Lisa Butland says

          September 11, 2023 at 2:21 am

          5 stars
          My new Hubby hates corriander could i use something else you think or just leave it out. i love it though tuankyou

          Reply
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        Hi I’m Nicky

        I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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