Laksa

(vegan, soup)

This recipe is based on one I transcribed from a personal-teevee programme on Cathay Pacific Airlines, returning from a business trip in Hong Kong, 19 April 1998 (probably the only good thing to come out of that whole project).

Laksa is a southeast-asian rice-noodle soup, usually a curried seafood chowder. It's of Malaysian origin, but has a bazillion varieties; every culture in the region seems to make it differently, so I can't say if mine is even close to authentic. But it's delicious (and filling and fatty, due to the coconut milk).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sliced onions
• chopped garlic (2 cloves to a whole lot more, depending on your preference)
• 2 or three sliced chili peppers
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 pints of veggie stock
• 3/4 pound of thin white rice noodles (pre-soaked in warm water, not boiled)
• 8 fluid ounces of coconut milk (the original recipe called for twice this amount, but this made it too rich for me)
• a little sugar & salt to taste
• curry powder to taste
• lots of ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili-bean sauce (or more if you like hotter food)
• 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
• 2 tablespoons minced coriander leaf
• sliced scallion rounds (from 3 scallions)

• [optional] 1 pound of tofu. You can use either soft, smooth white tofu that melts in your mouth, or deep-fried "family-style" tofu, both work well. Or you can leave this ingredient out entirely, since the soup is very rich and filling without it.

Preparation:

Heat a little oil in a wok, and saute the onions until they're soft and translucent, stirring in the chopped garlic and the chili peppers.

Add the ground coriander and let it blend in for another minute; then pour in the veggie stock. Cover and cook for 20 minutes over medium-low heat.

Add the rice noodles, coconut milk, sugar and salt, curry powder, ground black pepper, chili-bean sauce and lemongrass (also add the tofu if you use it). Simmer covered for another 10 minutes.

Add the broccoli and continue simmering, covered, until the florets are cooked just enough, but still crisp.

Garnish with minced coriander leaf and sliced scallion rounds.