Shrimp Laksa

So...you've heard of Pinterest, yes? :) I'm a little obsessed. Most of my sentences recently have started with, "So, I saw this thing on Pinterest..." and my sweet husband just assumes that each new creation comes from one main source, "Is that from Pinterest?"  

You can follow me here: Alice on Pinterest

You'll never guess my main interests after visiting...

Well anyway! I found a great recipe for Laksa [popular spicy noodle soup from the Peranakan culture] or so says Wikipedia.  We have a certain affinity for asian and thai cuisine and I have been working on trying to figure out how to make some of our favorites.  I always figured it was just easier to eat-out when I had my monthly crab rangoon craving but recently I've decided to stay home and figure it out. We're also in the middle of Lent and I was in need for some new Veggie Monster recipes. Done!

So I saw this thing on Pinterest for Veggie Laksa and I was sold! Coconut milk? Thai curry? Done and done!

Here's the original recipe: Veggie Laksa 5-ingredients-5-minutes-5-meals- 

You can adapt this recipe a few different ways really.  Use different noodles or add shrimp,  I'm making this again tonight and I plan to use thin rice noodles instead of stir-fry noodles. There's a difference!!

Here's my take:

2 cups mixed chopped vegetables [red, yellow and orange bell peppers work the best]

6-7 pieces of shrimp per person, frozen or fresh, shell & tail-on

1 box thin rice noodles [you can also use stir-fry noodles, try a few different kinds!]

4oz (1 small jar) Thai curry paste 

2 cans Geisha coconut milk

4 cups boiling water 

Scallions

Sriracha

Premium Fish Sauce [optional, but not really]

1. Julienne your bell peppers and either keep them in long strips or slice again into smaller pieces.  Set aside on your cutting board.

2. Soak your shrimp [if frozen] in tepid water. Do not use warm water from the faucet, you'll begin to cook the shrimp and they'll get rubbery. Let sit until thaw, you may need to drain if water gets too cold from shrimp. 

If not frozen, boil a small pot of water with sea salt and cook the shrimp until pink & no longer translucent. Cool, remove shells/tails & set aside. 

3. Boil 4 cups of water [if using a pot on the stove] & heat oil over medium-high heat.  Sauté  Thai curry paste, stirring constantly, for 30-45 seconds.   Immediately pour in the coconut milk and 4 cups of boiling water.  I used my tea kettle that boils water in about 5 minutes and kept me on track with the recipe.

4. Add vegetables, heat to boiling and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until the mixture has developed a smooth texture and even, light red color. For vegetables that are al dente [no longer crunchy] the simmering process can take about 8-10 minutes. 

5. While the liquid is simmering, start another pot or tea kettle of boiling water and place the noodles in a large pyrex bowl. Basically, follow the package directions. Usually, you'll want to soak the noodles from anywhere to 8-10 minutes, drain, rinse and divide among bowls.

6. Once your soup has simmered and you have the remaining ingredients ready. Divide the shrimp among your bowls, place the desired amount of noodles on top and ladle your soup in the bowls. Your soup will be hot and since shrimp is so delicate you will have no problem re-heating the little shrimpies during this process.

7.  Squeeze some Sriracha over your soup, a few dashes of fish sauce and scallions [use kitchen shears for your scallions, easiest!]

8. You might need a fork/chop sticks and a spoon. Enjoy!