Our Katong Laksa is one of the most popular stops on our food tours here in Singapore. This dish is actually one of our national dishes. It is so important to us that we have even had Katong Laksa wars that you can read more about here.
Obviously the actual recipe is a close guarded secret but we think this version by carryitlikeharry.com is a good version to try.

Ingredients for Katong Laksa

To make the paste:
15 dry red chillies
75g dried shrimp
100g peeled shallots
5 fresh red thai chillies
3 garlic cloves peeled.
5 tsp turmeric powder
10 tsp galangal powder
20g fresh peeled ginger
3 fresh lemongrass stalks
10g dried coriander seed
20g dried shrimp paste
120 ml peanut oil

To make the soup:
1 litre of chicken or prawn stock
200ml of water
1 litre of coconut juice
2tbsp salt
2tbsp sugar
5 stalks of laksa leaves
Fired tofu puff

To make the garnish
300g prawns
300g beansprouts
300g thick bee hoon noodles
200g fishcake
20 thinly sliced laksa leaves
2 hard boiled eggs
250g blood cockles

The recipe for Katong Laksa

A. Prepare your stock

1. Rehydrate the dried chillies and dried shrimps in a bowl with 200ml boiling water. Leave for about 20 minutes.
2. Strain and collect the water: set the chillies and shrimps aside. Add the water to a pot together with your chicken or prawn stock.
3. Bring to boil your stock.
4. Peel the prawns for topping, add the shells to the stock.
5. Using a netted ladle, poach your prawns in the boiling stock.
6. Once cooked, set the prawns aside.
7. Turn the heat down to very low to keep the stock lightly simmering.

B. Prepare the spice paste and the soup

1.Add the following your your food processor: rehydrated red chillies and shrimps, shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal, ginger, lemongrass, candlenuts, coriander seeds, 60ml peanut oil
2. Blend into a paste, as fine as possible (very important!)
3. Break and toast the belachan in a pot on medium heat. Make sure the pungent smell is released and the belachan is slightly burnt. (Beware: this stinks horribly!!)
4. Add spice paste from the food processor.
5. Add the remaining 60ml peanut oil.
6. Stir-fry for 30 minutes (important! This will soften the spice paste and release the aroma, but take care not to burn it) until the spice paste starts to turn dark brown.
7. Strain and add your stock to the spice paste. Bring to boil.
8. From your 5 stalks of laksa leaves, remove and add the leaves to the boiling soup, discard the stalks.
9. Let it simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
10. Add coconut milk.
11. Add the sugar and salt (adjust to taste).
12. Add the fried tofu puffs, bring to boil and let the puffs soak up the soap before turning the heat to low and let it simmer. Do not boil for too long otherwise the coconut milk will coagulate.

C. Serving it

1. Blanche separately in boiling water your rice noodles, bean sprouts, fish cake strips.
2. Divide the noodles in four serving bowls, topped with bean sprouts and fish cake strips.
3. Add the piping hot laksa soup to each bowl with a few slices of fried tofu puffs (if you have used those).
4. Add poached prawns, hard-boiled egg (half per bowl) and a big spoonful of blood cockles (if you use those).
5. Garnish with freshly and thinly sliced laksa leaves. Serve immediately.

Before you devour it make sure you take a photo of it and send it to us at info@singabites.com. You can also add us on social media #singabites.

Good luck and happy eating.