Weeknight Dinners
15-Min Lazy Laksa Prawn Rice Vermicelli
Spicy, creamy and properly fragrant, this is a fast weeknight laksa with prawns, rice noodles and a broth that still tastes deeply comforting.
Serves
2
Prep
10 mins
Cook
15 mins
Ingredients
Noodles & toppings
• 120 g dry rice vermicelli or thick rice noodles
• 200 to 250 g prawns, peeled and patted dry
• 1 carrot, julienned or ribboned
• 2 big handfuls bean sprouts
• 1/2 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 1 jammy boiled egg, optional
Laksa broth
• 1 x 400 ml tin coconut milk
• 200 ml chicken broth or bone broth
• 1 1/2 tbsp laksa paste
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp honey, optional
To serve
• Calamansi or lime
• Fried shallots
• Coriander and mint
• Sambal
Method
1. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the laksa paste and fry for 60 to 90 seconds until fragrant.
2. Whisk the coconut milk, broth, laksa paste, fish sauce, soy sauce and honey together until smooth.
3. Soak the rice vermicelli in hot water for about 5 minutes until just soft, then drain well. Boil the egg if you are using it.
4. Pour the broth into a wide pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the carrot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly softened.
5. Scatter in the prawns and bean sprouts, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the prawns are pink and just curled.
6. Divide the noodles between bowls, ladle over the laksa broth and top with cucumber, egg, lime, fried shallots, coriander, mint and sambal if you like.
Good For You Note
This is fast food that's also good food. Prawns bring protein and minerals, coconut milk adds healthy medium-chain fats, and the vegetables bring fibre, crunch and nutrients. It comes together in minutes but tastes like it took far longer.