18-Carat Laksa

The only thing I know of to be more successful than this recipe in dispatching a whole bag of carrots is a horse. Roasted, the carrots’ natural sweetness counters the intensity of the aromatics and spices in this curried laksa and, along with the coconut milk, balances it out perfectly. On a separate note, it’s taken me ten years to finally write a recipe that uses a kilo of carrots for a main course. I’m so proud of it, I may just frame it and put it up next to my Grade 1 piano certificate in the downstairs bathroom.

Serves: 4
Total Time: 1hr 20min
Prep Time: 20min
Cook Time: 1hr

INGREDIENTS

• ESSENTIAL: a small blender

For the quick pickled bean sprouts:

• 100g bean sprouts
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp salt

For the laksa:

• 1kg carrots, peeled
• 2 tbsp + 6 tbsp rapeseed oil
• salt
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3cm x 3cm ginger, chopped
• 2 sticks lemongrass, outer leaves and top third discarded, the rest chopped
• 15 fresh curry leaves
• 4 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2½ tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
• 240g or 16 tofu puffs
• 320g medium rice vermicelli noodles
• 20g fresh Thai basil, leaves picked, to serve
  
  

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas 7.

2. To make the pickle, pop the bean sprouts into a small heatproof bowl with the vinegar, salt and 150ml of freshly boiled water and leave to one side for 10 minutes, then drain.

3. Meanwhile, halve the carrots lengthways and chop into 3cm chunks. Place in a single layer on a large roasting tray or two, drizzle over 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle over ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix with your hands and roast for 40 minutes.

4. While the carrots are roasting, make the laksa paste. Place 6 tablespoons of oil in a small blender along with the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, curry leaves, 1¼ teaspoons of salt, the chilli powder, curry powder and sugar and blend to a smooth paste. Scrape every last bit of the paste into a large pot, then rinse out the blender and keep to one side – you’ll need to use it again. Heat the paste in a large saucepan or pot over a medium heat for 12 minutes, stirring regularly, then add the soy sauce, coconut milk, roasted carrots, tofu puffs and 850ml of water.

5. Bring to a boil and simmer for 8 minutes, then take a heaped ladleful of the carrots with some of the liquid and pop it into the blender. Blitz until smooth, then add back to the pot and stir. Turn the heat off and pop a lid on, while you cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.

6. To serve, distribute the noodles across four bowls, then ladle the laksa and carrots between the bowls. Place a small pile of pickled bean sprouts on top, along with a few Thai basil leaves.

NOTE: Most of the ingredients in this recipe go straight into a blender to create the laksa paste. You can buy tofu puffs in Chinese supermarkets and online (p 312 of Dinner). Laksa noodles (medium rice vermicelli) are difficult to source; when I can’t find them, I use wheat ramen noodles or rice sticks instead.