Laksa – the iconic Malaysian spicy coconut noodle soup! An incredibly rich, fragrant, complex flavoured broth loaded with all the essential classic toppings. This is an easy Laksa recipe because it’s made with a store bought Laksa paste which is spruced up to make a restaurant quality Laksa.
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Laksa recipe
I am obsessed with Laksa.
My Japanese mother will disown me for saying this, but I am pretty sure that Laksa would be my Last Meal.
She will also be able to attest to my obsession with Laksa. Because approximately once a month, I trek wide and far as required to get my Laksa fix. I have been known to drive an hour to a place called Temasek in Parramatta which I think has one the best Laksas in Sydney
Let me put that another way. I drive a 2 hour round trip for a bowl of Laksa that takes 15 minutes to consume and I’m booted out of my seat the minute I finish slurping the soup. This place is in hot demand!
What is Laksa?
Laksa is a spicy noodle soup from Malaysia, also found in other South East Asian counties including Singapore and Indonesia.
Laksa as we know it here in Australia is made with a coconut broth that is spicy and fragrant. However, there are actually quite a few different types of Laksas and those who travel to Malaysia are often surprised to learn that the most popular Laksa has a much stronger curry flavour and is not made with a coconut broth.
So the coconut broth Laksa that is so wildly popular here in Australia is actually not widely available in Malaysia. Nevertheless – doesn’t it look ridiculously delicious??
If the jar instructions says to dump paste into coconut milk – ignore it. Follow my recipe!
Making a Laksa from scratch requires speciality ingredients such as dried shrimp, dried shrimp paste, candlenuts and galangal. I’ve only made it a handful of times. And it’s always a big occasion when I do – I make a big deal of it. “I made that from scratch”, I’ll say smugly, repeatedly.
How to make Laksa
Today, I’m sharing a Laksa recipe that starts with a store bought Laksa paste. If you’ve ever tried to make laksa at home using a store bought paste and just added that to coconut milk like it says to do on the jar, you’ve probably been sorely disappointed with the outcome.
That’s because like all curries (red curry, green curry), Laksa paste benefits greatly from some freshening up. Just a bit of garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilli sautéed before adding the store bought paste will take this Laksa from meh to mind blowingly delicious!
Best Laksa paste
The best (Asian stores only) – Por Kwan Laksa Paste (A$2.80). At the time of writing, is still only sold at Asian grocery stores. It has more depth of flavour than other brands, the proper Malaysian “funk” that is so addictive about Laksa.
Very good (supermarkets) – Ayam Laksa Paste (Woolworths, Coles 🇦🇺). It’s actually quite good nowadays. I’d happily use it for a Laksa fix if I can’t get to an Asian store.
Avoid – Valcom, the other mainstream brand sold in supermarkets. Remains a no-go zone for me (way, WAY too sweet and westernised)
What’s in Laksa?
For me, the crowning glory of Laksa is the spicy coconut broth. I want it on tap. I could happily drink it every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Here’s what you need for the Laksa broth. What we’re doing here is making a semi-homemade chicken broth by cooking drumsticks (or other bone in, skin on chicken) in chicken broth/stock to inject extra flavour and richness.
Laksa paste – see above for my recommended brands.
And here’s what goes ON and IN Laksa. Just a note on a couple of things:
Noodles – The common noodles found in Laksa is vermicelli noodles (thin white noodles). However, “serious” laksa joints serve laksa with both vermicelli and Hokkien Noodles. Hokkien Noodles are optional – I only use it when making laksa for company.
Fried Tofu Puffs – these are fried tofu pieces. They’re spongey, don’t taste of much and they look weird, but they’re an essential part of the Laksa eating experience!
It’s not the end of the world if you can’t find them….but you’ll miss that glorious moment when you bite into a tofu puff and the laksa soup squirts into your mouth ***and her knees go weak at the thought….***
Crispy Fried Shallots – crunchy, salty, oily bits of fried shallots, a common garnish in dishes across South East Asia.
Nowadays found in large supermarkets, but cheaper in Asian stores. It makes an appearance regularly around here eg Chinese Chicken Salad, Nasi Goreng, Chinese Ham Bone Rice Soup, Asian Slaw, Amazing Easy Thai Coconut Soup – to name a few!
And lastly, but certainly not least is the Chilli Paste that is always served on the side (at good Laksa joints!) so you can add more flavour and heat into your Laksa.
The Chilli Paste is made with more than just chilli and I’ve never come across a recipe for it so I made my own up. This stuff is gold, and a little dab of this added into the coconut broth is one of my secrets. 🙂
Phew! Who knew that I would be able to write almost 1,000 words about a humble noodle soup without pausing for a breath??
But honestly, if there is one soup to write an essay about, it’s got to be Laksa.
Big punchy flavours. Fragrant, rich and spicy.
This soup is me in a bowl. – Nagi x
More Asian Soups You’ll Love!
Ham Bone Congee (Chinese Rice Soup)
See all Asian Recipes
Watch How To Make It
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Laksa Noodle Soup
Ingredients
Chicken Stock
- 2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock / broth
- 1 cup (250 ml) water
- 3 chicken drumsticks (Note 1)
Laksa Broth
- 1 1/2 tbsp oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 cm / 4/5″ piece of ginger , finely grated
- 1 lemongrass , white part grated, (Note 2)
- 2 birds eye chillis , finely chopped (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup (135g) laksa paste (Note 4)
- 400ml can coconut milk (Note 5)
- 2 tsp fish sauce (sub soy)
Noodles + Toppings
- 50g / 1.5 oz vermicelli noodles , dried
- 100g / 3.5oz hokkien noodles (optional, Note 6)
- 80g / 2.5 oz bean sprouts
- 80g / 2.5 oz tofu puffs , cut in half (Note 7)
Laksa Chilli Sauce (Note 8)
- 1/2 tsp sugar , white
- 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce , light or all purpose
- 1/2 garlic clove , minced
- 1 1/2 tsp Laksa paste (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce , or other chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp chilli paste from jar , or more Sriracha
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (any plain oil)
Garnishes
- Fresh coriander / cilantro (recommended)
- Lime wedges (recommended)
- Crispy fried shallots , optional (Note 8)
- Finely sliced red chilli , optional
Instructions
Chicken Stock
- Place Chicken Stock ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to simmer, then reduce to medium high.
- Cook for 25 minutes or until chicken flesh is falling off the bone and liquid reduces by about 1/3.
- Discard skin, pull flesh off the bone and place in bowl, discard bone. Set broth aside.
Laksa Chilli Sauce
- Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes.
Laksa Broth
- Heat oil in a large saucepan or small pot over medium low heat. Add garlic and ginger, sauté for 20 seconds, then add lemongrass and chillis. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add laksa paste. Turn heat up to medium and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, or until fragrant.
- Add chicken stock, coconut milk, fish sauce and 2 tsp of Laksa Chilli Sauce. Place lid on and simmer on for 10 minutes.
- Adjust to taste using lime juice (for sour) and fish sauce (for saltiness). Add tofu puffs. Leave on turned off stove with lid on for 5 minutes.
Assemble Laksa
- Prepare noodles per packet directions.
- Divide noodles between 2 bowls. Top with shredded chicken.
- Pour broth over chicken. Top with beansprouts. Sprinkle with Garnishes you choose to use. Serve with Laksa Chilli Sauce on the side.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published September 2016. Updated with new photos, new writing, brand new video. No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare touch it!
Life of Dozer
I’m sure onlookers were thoroughly unimpressed at the sight of his dusty paws on the park bench that people sit on to watch the sun set over Pittwater…… (I think he jumped up so he could see over the shrubs to watch the pelicans frolicking on the sand flats!)
And from when I first published this Laksa recipe….
Spotted FOOD in the water….(i.e. fish!)
Try Pantainorasingh brand chilli paste with soya bean oil. I think it has an authentic taste. Will try and load picture of the jar
I will keep an eye out for it, thank you!
I have a question. I didn’t see anyone else asking this but is the amound of Por Kwan Laksa Paste correct at 1/2 cup? The jar is 7 ounces. 1/2 a cup would be over half of one jar of paste.
I love your photographs!
Hi Bobi! I used 175g which is 6 oz out of a 200g/7oz jar. So I don’t use more than one jar. I measured it to be 1/2 cup, which is 125 ml / 4.25 oz, because it’s denser / heavier than water. But all pastes differ in strength, what I do is measure out 1/2 cup, per recipe, to saute then at the end, if I used a weaker paste (which some of the supermarket brands are), then I just add another dollop or two straight into the broth. Hope that helps!
Thanks for sharing your laksa recipe i can’t wait to make it looks delicious i’m a real fan of Laksa i love the flavours.
ME TOO! I wish I had some for tonight, it’s a cold evening! N x
Hi Nagi. Made laksa for the first time last night, using your recipe. Now the family want it again… Fantastic recipe, very clear, so simple, and tastes so good! Thank you.
Fantastic! So pleased to hear that Graham, thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know! N xx
Hi Nagy – from a fellow laksa addict of over 40 years. My first and still favourite laksa is from The Malaya restaurant in Sydney – in George St for decades and now in Lime St at Darling Harbour. I will try out your Parramatta favourite when I am there next. The Malaya serves their laksa with cows milk – not coconut milk. It’s lighter but still great spicy punch in your mouth flavours. My stomach reacts negatively to full on coconut milk sometimes but never to the cows milk version. I have also used the Prima brand Laksa paste and prefer it over the much blander Ayam. The Prima range at my local Asian grocer is however approximately twice the price of Ayam. When ever I use the Prima base sauces eg the peanut sauce in Satay, friends who spend a lot of time in Indonesia and Malaysia always compliment me on the authentic flavour and want more. Finally, if I am lazy or pressed for time, I buy a free range already roasted chicken and de- flesh it. I always have chicken broth from carcasses in the freezer so that accelerates prep time. Finally, I love the oily red/orange globules that glow in laksa when I stir in the extra chilli paste on top. My mouth is watering and I am off the make laksa right now.
YES to The Malaya!! That used to be a firm favourite of mine for big group gatherings with both friends and work 🙂 Their laksa is fantastic. Temasek in Parramatta is much richer and the stock is far more aromatic. The other laksa place I have a massive weakness for is Malay-Chinese on Hunter St in the city. Over lunch hour, the lines are INSANE!!
Hello, I’m in the UK and my boss often has a store bought vegetarian Laska that smells great but lacks something. I would like to make your recipe over the weekend and wanted to know if I make a big pot and add a spoon of chilli paste to each tuberware can I freeze (adding the noodles and bean sprouts as fresh to each meal. Also, I might of missed it but when do I add the chicken and tofu balls? Many thanks.
Hi Jenny – that sounds fine to add the chilli paste and freeze it with the soup! The chicken and tofu gets added right at the end, the soup gets ladled over it 🙂
Heyy Nagi,
Im on exchange in Denmark and dying with out the selection of delicious asian food that Melbourne has too offer, unfortunately i cant find ‘laksa paste’ anywhere, would red/ yellow/ Green / panang / massaman curry paste be simular at all?
or is there another substitute?
Hi Dylan! If you’re in Melbourne you should definitely be able to find laksa paste in any asian grocery store or even Coles or Woolworths!! It’s pretty common here in Australia 🙂 N x
Absolutely smashing! I cooked this for six and received complements and requests for the recipe all round. I couldn’t find the tofu puffs in Wangaratta ? so used fish balls instead.
HIGH FIVE! So glad you enjoyed it Amelia, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Thank you for this recipe! I’m new to your blog and stumbled upon this post, and just had to try it especially since we are having snowy weather. I never had laksa before, but your photos persuaded me to try it and I love big bowls of savory chicken soups. I used the Por Kwan brand laksa paste as it was the only brand the asian market near me carried. But when I opened the jar, I could tell it was going to be way too shrimpy for me and my husband! lol But we just used extra lime juice and mask the shrimp flavor. I followed the recipe exactly except I added celery to the aromatics and used frozen yakisoba noodles (that were on sale). It was very delicious and the flavors were perfect!! Now I’m on the search for a restaurant near me that serves authentic laksa! If I make it at home again, I’ll have to dig around for a less shrimpy paste though. I love fish sauces and anchovies, but the shrimp-paste types are too much for me lol. Thanks again for sharing! It was a fun Saturday experiment!
Hi Katie, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for letting me know! Try the other brand in this post, it’s the one from the supermarket and it is definitely less shrimpy 🙂 ❤️ N xx
Wow, another signature recipe! Just tried it today after many, many, many time consuming reicpes from MY before where you wonder if the time you spend in the kitchen is worth it. Yours is just spot on, Nagi. Thanks!!!! 🙂
A few alterations: For the chicken broth I added some carrot, celery, onion pieces I found in the kitchen. When the chicken was done I took the meat off the bones and put the bones and scraps back on the stove and simmered it furthermore for more taste. One spoon of chicken broth went to the pulled chicken meat to keep it moist. Ginger and garlic for the Laksa broth was mixed with some water using the stick blender to get it real smooth.
Today we are using your favourite Laksa paste “Por Kwan”, but I`m not fond of the enhancers and color additives. I also bought my more favourite brand “Ayam” which is additive free and easily available at Woolworths in Australia. More expensive, but I am happy with that. They also supply birds eye chillies which are very spicy and you can pick as many as you want 🙂
Love your additions Nikki! Glad you found a Laksa paste that suits your taste 🙂 Respect your decision to choose one without enhancers and additives! N xx
I’ve made this twice so far, once in Darwin for my Laksa loving son-in-law and again when I returned home and my son and daughter-in-law visited. Both times was a complete success with no leftovers. I stock up on the Por Kwan laksa paste on my visits to Canberra (so worth it) and have found the tofu puffs in Albury (bonus). Thanks Nagi for sharing ?
Woo hoo! So glad to hear that you enjoyed it Belinda, thanks for letting me know! N x PS Por Kwan stocking up….you ROCK!
Hi Nagi! I just wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe. The first time I tried Laksa was in Georgetown, Penang. Eversince it has been on my mind. Finally I decided to try to make it myself, with the help of your recipe. I just couldn’t believe I actually made something sooo good! By now I made it twice, and I’ll keep making it forever. My girlfriend is addicted and my sister said it was one of the best things she ever ate in her entire life. I now fully understand the introduction you wrote! Many thanks for sharing, you rock!
Fantastic! So glad to hear that Niels, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
Oh wow, this was amazing, very filling too. My husband had seconds, even though he couldn’t find the noodles because I had them in the sink. My 2 yo liked it too. Although the vermicelli was a little hard for her to swallow. She seems to like spicy noodles. We had green curry a couple days ago and I mixed some ramen in with the leftovers and she gobbled it down. We didn’t use any of the side sauce though so it wasn’t like crazy spicy. The only laksa paste I could find was some sort of instant laksa. I think it was Prima or Primo, and it came with some sort of coconut premix, but I just threw the premix in with the ramen in your Packet Ramen Makeover. Everyone loved that too – I had to quadruple the recipe. Oh and the tofu puffs were almost the best part – I always thought I hated tofu, but they were just so juicy. We’re even planning on making this next week because I have most of the ingredients left over.
Wow, what incredible feedback, thank you Becca! N x
Confession time – I usually don’t like laksa. Sacrilege, I know…but it’s just too ‘fishy’ for me! But I am always willing to give things another go, especially the home made version – and this was flipping delicious. Mr Beck and I wolfed this down last night (no extra chilli needed) and it was just beautiful. I could only get Ayam paste which I agree is too sweet but I pimped it with a stack of lime juice to sour it up. Yum! My only negative comment is that my leftover lunch today spilled a bit in my lunch bag when I hit a bump on the freeway, which means that I will be breaking new culinary ground this morning with laksa-fragranced porridge for breakfast. Could be an interesting way to start the day. But bring on lunch, as I know how yummy it will be! I even have all my toppings individually wrapped and ready to go. Thanks for converting me!
Woo hoo! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Beck, thanks so much for letting me know! And c’mon….what’s wrong with fishy porridge?? ? N x
Just cook Laksa tonite & the chilli we r enjoy so much so much, you r the best my life saver , chili paste was awesome , which I been looking for long time thank you
Tomorrow I will cook the honey sweet soy chicken (properly not exact spell ). I believe my 3 little youngster will love it
WOW Ai Tang! I’m so glad you enjoyed this, THANK YOU for letting me know!!! N xx PS Your youngsters enjoyed this??? Wasn’t too spicy for them???
Loved it – first time I’ve ever made laksa. They all said it’s the best they’ve had. Thank you
WOO HOO! So glad you enjoyed it Andy, thanks so much for letting me know everyone enjoyed it! N x
What a beautiful photo of your golden — I absolutely love retrievers.
I live in Malaysia, but can’t eat laksa- I’m allergic to soy and tamarind (and peanuts)! So all the craze of Malaysian cuisine is lost on me– But this looks so good. I guess it wouldn’t be laksa without those ingredients!
Actually, I am sure you could! Soy is not used in laksa and there are plenty of subs for tamarind – even just using more lime!
Hi Nagi,
I hadn’t tried your laksa recipe yet (I’m sure it’s delicious like all your other recipes)! But I love my laksa & also being a Malaysian, thought I’d let you know that most Malaysians will go for “Tean” or “Dolly” laksa pastes (can be found in most Asian grocery stores like Tongli). I personally haven’t found “Ayam” brand pastes to be authentic (sorry)! The trick with the two laksa paste listed above is not to follow their recommendation for the amount of water to add. I usually add half the amount of liquid (I use low-fat milk instead of water). Let me know if you like “Tean” or “Dolly”!
I agree Ayam is not as authentic 🙂 A little too sweet for my taste and not shrimpy enough. Thanks for the tip, I will remember Tean and Dolly brands for next time! N x
This was just what I needed for an early fall day here in Canada. I love Laksa and had no idea you could buy the curry paste. It was delicious.
You tried it??? I’m so glad!!! N x
oh yes, I love Laksa too. It’s one of my all time favourite foods. those vermicelli noodles look the Bomb. I’d love to try the laksa at your favourite place, i hear it is great but I just don’t have time to drive there. i have to make do with the first one I ca get my hands on. Two nights ago that was at my place with zucchini noodles in it!
We should go Tania! Early one Sunday! 🙂 Beat the lunch crowd! N x
Hi Nagi! Thank you for all the comments you’ve left on my blog; I’m sorry I haven’t gotten around to replying to them or leaving comments on yours as well! I’ve been following your blog for a while now, though, and I love your recipes. When I saw this laksa recipe I could not resist it at all and made it tonight for dinner and we LOOOOOVED it!! It was really easy and it was just what my husband needed – he’s been sick with a pretty bad cold and this laksa reeeaaally hit the spot. The only things I couldn’t add were the tofu puffs and bean sprouts as my local shop didn’t have any, and I used chicken breasts instead (no reason why, it’s just what I already had!). Thank you for an amazing recipe, and I love your dedication to good laksa! Have a lovely weekend! 🙂
Oooh! I can’t believe you’ve made this already!!! SO GLAD you enjoyed it! N x