Tofu Coconut Laksa
This hearty South-East Asian is deliciously creamy, just the right amount of spice and the coconutty taste makes it refreshingly light. Plus, you’ll get your day’s vitamin C from the 500ml coconut water, a delicious reminder you can get all the nutrients you need from your diet!
SERVES 2
PREP TIME 10 MINUTES
COOKS TIME 50 MINUTES
DIFFICULTY MEDIUM
Ingredients
1 white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 lemongrass stalks
40g ginger, grated
1 red chilli, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 litre coconut water
250ml coconut cream
100g tender-stem broccoli
100g pak choi
60g shiitake mushrooms
150g flat rice noodles, dried
Juice ½ lime
1 tsp sugar
225g tofu (smoked works well)
80g fresh beansprouts
Handful fresh coriander
Pinch salt
Method
1.
Place the onion, garlic, ginger, red chilli and oil in a food processor. Take the white end of the lemon grass stalks (around 5cm) and chop thinly. Save the rest of the stalks for later. Add the chopped lemongrass to the food processor and blend until it forms a smooth paste.
2.
Pop a large heavy-bottomed pot over a low heat and drizzle with a little olive oil. Add the paste and fry over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid it sticking to the bottom. Halfway through, add the ground turmeric, cumin and cayenne pepper. Continue to stir until fragrant and reducing down.
3.
Once it has started to reduce down, pour in the coconut water and stir in a pinch of salt. Remove the outer leaves from the lemongrass stalks and place the remaining in the pot. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, cover with the lid, and simmer for 20 minutes.
4.
Meanwhile, drain the tofu well, pat dry with a towel, and chop into 6 thick slices. Place in a shallow bowl, drizzle with soy sauce, and leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
5.
To prepare the vegetables, rinse, before chopping off the bottom end of the broccoli stalks and tearing the whole leaves off the pack choi. Slice the bottom of the pak choi into rounds.
6.
Once the liquid has been simmering for 20 minutes, carefully remove the lemongrass pieces, and discard. Stir through the coconut cream, and add the broccoli, pak choi, shiitake mushrooms, and noodles. Allow to simmer on low for another 5-7 minutes, before squeezing in the lime juice and adding a teaspoon of sugar, stirring well.
7.
Meanwhile, pop a frying pan over a medium heat, and drizzle over some olive oil. Fry the tofu for 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown
8.
Divide the laksa equally into two bowls, topped with the tofu, a handful of beansprouts, and some coriander. Sprinkle with some sliced red chillies, if desired.
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