Winter has well and truly hit us. To help keep warm, one of my favourite lunch staples at the moment is my vegan laksa which includes my homemade paste NOT store bought which makes all the difference. Make the paste in advance and store in the fridge for up to three months. It's SO good.
Ingredients for the paste
3 medium shallots
4 garlic cloves,
2 lemongrass stalks
40g galangal
4 fresh red chillies
2 tbsp veggie oil
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp coriander seeds (toasted and ground)
2 tsp cumin seeds (toasted and ground)
Ingredients for the soup
1 packet of pad Thai noodles, cooked
block of firm tofu
1 can of coconut milk
2 cups of plant-based broth
1 tsp of coconut sugar
Dash of soy sauce
1 packet of enoki mushrooms
1 bunch of bok choy
1 packet of sugar snap peas
Fresh coriander
Fresh red chilli
A squeeze of fresh lime
Method
Blend all the spices and oil in a food processor to make a smooth paste. Then spoon the desired amount (depending on how spicy you like it!) into a pan and cook over a medium heat until fragrant, add coconut milk, broth and coconut sugar and a dash of soy sauce to taste and bring to the boil. Add chopped bok choy and sugar snap peas and cook until tender. Chop tofu into cubes and pile into a bowl long with pad thai noodles. Top with broth, enoki mushrooms, fresh coriander, fresh red chilli and a squeeze of fresh lime. Serve immediately.