Laksa Betawi is actually only the second laksa I have made. It was one of the most interesting for me, as it goes against what I usually expect from the dish. Instead of being aggressively spicy or sharply tangy, this version is much richer and creamier.
The base started with fresh turmeric, ginger, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, bay leaves, ground coriander, chillies, shrimp paste, palm sugar, homemade shrimp and chicken stock, and high-fat coconut milk. I blended the aromatics and shrimp paste into a paste first, then fried it down properly to bring the oils out before building the broth.
It’s worth mentioning that I couldn’t find lemon basil, so I improvised slightly by adding lemon directly into the stock and using Thai basil both near the end of cooking and as a garnish, which gave a similar fresh citrus lift hopefully.
For the noodles, I used a mix of rice and wheat noodles together, which gave a really nice contrast in texture. Then topped everything with shrimp, sliced chicken breast, egg, chilli, crispy fried onions, lime, Thai basil, and bean sprouts (which I somehow completely forgot to include in the final photo despite definitely eating them).
The final bowl ended up rich, aromatic, slightly sweet, gently spicy, and incredibly comforting. I would love recommendations for what to cook next!
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Laksa Betawi is actually only the second laksa I have made. It was one of the most interesting for me, as it goes against what I usually expect from the dish. Instead of being aggressively spicy or sharply tangy, this version is much richer and creamier.
The base started with fresh turmeric, ginger, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, bay leaves, ground coriander, chillies, shrimp paste, palm sugar, homemade shrimp and chicken stock, and high-fat coconut milk. I blended the aromatics and shrimp paste into a paste first, then fried it down properly to bring the oils out before building the broth.
It’s worth mentioning that I couldn’t find lemon basil, so I improvised slightly by adding lemon directly into the stock and using Thai basil both near the end of cooking and as a garnish, which gave a similar fresh citrus lift hopefully.
For the noodles, I used a mix of rice and wheat noodles together, which gave a really nice contrast in texture. Then topped everything with shrimp, sliced chicken breast, egg, chilli, crispy fried onions, lime, Thai basil, and bean sprouts (which I somehow completely forgot to include in the final photo despite definitely eating them).
The final bowl ended up rich, aromatic, slightly sweet, gently spicy, and incredibly comforting. I would love recommendations for what to cook next!