Chicken Laksa with Rice Noodles

So after my last guest contributor recipe post, I got an email from Robyn asking if she could share a recipe with all of you as well. When she said it would be Malaysian type of dish, I was excited as I have absolutely no experience when it comes to meals like these, and it looks like something fun to make that my boyfriend would love! Thank you Robyn for sharing this with all of us!

Inspired by an ayurvedic cookbook that I worked on last summer in London, dinner was a light Malaysian Chicken Laksa with Rice Noodles. We served it with fresh lime and mint, and I made grilled herb flatbreads with fennel seeds to accompany it. The laksa was warm and creamy, yet refreshing because of sweet coconut milk and steamed vegetables. If this recipe inspires you, please visit my lifestyle blog, this is life. for more inspiration (inspired by Anjum’s Eat Right for Your Body Type by Anjum Anand. (If you know your ayurvedic dosha, this recipe is recommended for vata imbalance, and is also suitable for pitta with some omissions. it is not recommended for kapha, although it could be suitable if tofu is used instead of chicken, if the amount of coconut milk is lessened, and if buckwheat noodles are used. If you would like more ayurvedic recipes, please see this wonderful cookbook.)

Chicken Laksa with Rice Noodles
1 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
1 small–medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
10g peeled ginger, made into a paste (plus extra juliennes for garnish, optional)
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and made into a paste
1⁄4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt and 1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (pitta please omit)
250ml good-quality chicken stock
3 medium chicken breasts or 4 boned thighs, skinned and cut into large pieces
250–300ml coconut milk
3⁄4 tsp garam masala (pitta please omit)
2–21⁄2 tsp lime or lemon juice, or to taste
180–190g rice noodles (you can also use wheat), cooked according to packet instructions
200g vegetables of your choice, blanched or steamed (for example, choose from green beans, broccoli, mangetout, bean sprouts, bok choy, edamame beans)
Handful of fresh mint and coriander leaves and a little finely julienned carrot, to serve

Heat the oil in a medium non-stick saucepan. Add the onion and cook until soft and turning golden at the edges. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and cook for 40–50 seconds, stirring often until the garlic smells cooked. Add the spices, seasoning and a small splash of water and cook until the water has evaporated and the paste has had 20–30 seconds to cook.
Add the stock, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes. The water should be quite reduced. Add the chicken, coconut milk and garam masala, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on a low heat until the chicken is done, around 3–4 minutes for breast and 5–6 minutes for thigh (depending on how large the pieces are). The curry should be of a medium creamy consistency. stir in the lime or lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasoning.
Place the cooked noodles in individual bowls or deep side plates, add the chicken on one side and the vegetables in neat piles on the other and pour over the coconut curry. Garnish with lots of fresh mint and coriander and carrot julienne.

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