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!)
It was fabulous!
I don’t eat onion and garlic so I make everything from scratch to avoid these things. Any pointers on a paste recipe? Will red curry paste do?
Great recipe, tastes just like what you get at a great Laksa place, so good!
Best Laksa recipe without a doubt. My husband considers himself a laksa connoisseur and absolutely loves this recipe. Tastes so fresh and perfect 😍
Hi Nagi. I often cook from your recipes and the family love it when I do. Quick question, if doubling or tripling recipe is it a straight calculation or do you restrict spice quantities. Thanks, going to cook tonight.
At the top of the recipe page that you are able to print is a slide bar scale which you can adjust for the number of servings you wish to make. It changes to ingredients for 1-20 servings … just hover over the slide bar and adjust as required. I hope this helps
This is the best laksa, I’ve tried other laksa restaurants since trying this recipe and none of them compare! I have started making it with prawns instead of chicken which cuts the cooking time down significantly. I also find I don’t need additional chilli sauce for serving, it’s spicy enough. I still make the full batch though and keep it in the fridge for next time. Super yum!
I’m so glad you love it Sara, you really can’t go past a great laksa can you?! N x
This is the best recipe for Laksa. I could eat it everyday and drink that broth! Thank you!
I’ve been making laksa for years… never this good. So easy and the tip about the jar paste was perfect.
Fantastic recipe Nagi, but then I’d expect nothing less. I have tried so many of your recipes and they are always a huge success. I made this one recently on a cold winters night while in lockdown. I had some leftover chicken broth in the fridge and then dutifully masked up and headed to my local supermarket where I easily located all the other ingredients, apart from the tofu, but as you say, it wasn’t really missed. The recipe was easy to follow and the flavours were incredible. Our Malaysian local takeaway is called Laksa King. The boy and his dad thought this version was every bit as good and happily crowned me the Laksa Queen. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe and tips.
Hi, your posts/recipes are interesting to read. Thanks for the tip on Temasek in Parra and for the brand advice. I did not expect such local identification for me in Sydney on the WWW!
I made this for my boyfriend and I to help cheer us up during our 6th Melbourne lockdown. It was an absolute winner! I don’t like tofu or coriander so I omitted them and only did one chilli as per the other comments. So glad I did as it was still super spicy but so yum. The boyfriend declared it was better than his fav local restaurant laksa and my best work yet haha. I make a lot of our meals from your site and nothing ever fails, all amazing, you are a god send. The ultimate compliment was he told me 2 days later he can’t stop thinking about that laksa! The highest praise! Thank you so much for making me always look like a superstar in the kitchen.
Hi Nagi,
What can I use to substitute the chicken broth for someone who’s a vego?
Hi Monica, use vegetable stock in its place. You’ll just need to check the paste too as they generally have shrimp paste so this recipe may not be suitable. 🙂 N x
One of the best Laksa I’ve ever had, I can’t believe I made it!
Followed the recipe pretty much to a tee but did not have any siracha for the chilli sauce so I use chilli oil. Tasted great!
One on my favourite recipes on this amazing site!
One of the best written recipes I have read online. I too share your love for laska. The last meal I would request for sure.
Absolutely delicious, thanks for all the little tips, made a perfect dish even perfecter (just made up a new word).
Forgot to rate it. Oops 5 stars!
This is an awesome recipe! Super easy and absolutely delicious. I’d poached a whole chicken yesterday with ginger, lemongrass, chilli and soy for a thai dish so used the same delicious stock in this dish and added some of the poached chicken and I also added some green prawns. This is definitely going to be a regular in my house!
Try making steamed cassava for Doser. Our Mas (golden) in Bali loves cassava steamed in banana leaves more than meat…:-)
Hello Nagi,
My husband and I love this recipe, I make it a lot! It’s one of our favourites and the chicken is so silky soft, I add green prawns as well at the end. I’m making again this weekend and am salivating thinking about it. Thank you.
Oops! Forgot to rate. 5 out of 5.
Hi Nagi,
Im remaking this tonight, one of my faves! Can I just use store bought chicken stock? not ideal but I’m kinda pressed on time ! xx
Yes 100% – I often use store bought, just use low sodium 🙂 N x
Cooked this tonight and turned out amazing! Used the Ayam paste and coconut milk. Can’t wait to try again with the even better paste next time but this was perfect. Added more chicken (some thighs and wings).
LOVE IT! Turned out amazing!
Amazing! Quite possibly the best laksa I’ve ever had and so proud that I made it myself! Thanks for another winning recipe Nagi!
My husband has been telling me how good Laksa soup takeaway….so I thought I would see if Nagi had a recipe ( my go to for every recipe!!) And I found this! So good….rave reviews!