Southeast Asian Laksa Soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 ml chicken stock
• 250 ml water
• 5 chicken thighs (drumsticks)
• 1 tbsp sambal manis
• 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
• 1 ½ tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp sugar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cm ginger root
• 1 stalk lemongrass, the white part
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp, heaped curry paste (Penang curry paste)
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp, heaped peanut paste or peanut butter
• 2 limes
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 lime(s), juice
• 250 g noodles, e.g. mie, goreng or rice noodles
• 1 pkt. shrimp(s), approx. 250 g
• some oil for frying
• 1 onion(s), roasted
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• 1 pack of soybean seedlings, approx. 200 g

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

First, heat the chicken stock and water and cook the chicken drumsticks for about 20 minutes. Then, remove the chicken from the bone and set the stock aside. For the chili sauce, mix together sambal manis, sriracha sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Please do not use sambal oelek. Sambal manis is much milder and more aromatic. For the soup, finely chop the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass and sauté them in the remaining vegetable oil in a wok. Then add the curry paste and a little of the coconut milk. Fry everything over high heat for about 1 minute. Add the rest of the coconut milk and the reserved chicken stock. Add the turmeric, peanut paste, kaffir lime leaves, and the juice of one lime to the stock and season with fish sauce and 2 teaspoons of the chili sauce. Simmer everything for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the Asian noodles according to the package instructions and slice the spring onion. Briefly fry the prawns in a little oil in a pan. Cut a lime into eighths and set aside the soybean sprouts, fried onions, and chicken. Bring the soup back to a boil for about 2 minutes. Layer the noodles, chicken, prawns, and soybean sprouts in bowls and pour over the boiling hot broth. Top with the fried onions, spring onions, and a few dollops of chili sauce, and garnish with a lime wedge. Note: Laska soup is to Singapore what ramen soup is to Japan. You can find Laska soup everywhere in Singapore, and everyone has their own (secret) family recipe. This recipe is just one of many variations. Like many Asian soups, you have a flavorful broth and various toppings that can be varied as desired.