
I use a shop-bought laksa paste. Quelle horreur! But with a few in-the pan additions, you can elevate a decent-quality paste into something very closely resembling those spectacular Malaysian-inspired bowls of pure, soul-restoring goodness. The key is to not dump the paste straight in with a tin of coconut milk – you need to build layers of flavour. Depending on the brand, the laksa paste’s heat and intensity of flavour can vary, so use the amounts given here as a guide.
Serves 2-3.

1 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
5 cm ginger, grated on a mandoline
1 stem lemongrass, white part only, bruised then grated on a mandoline
2 red chillies, finely sliced, deseeded if desired
55 ‒ 115 g laksa paste
1 tin coconut milk, 400ml
375 ml chicken stock
2 tsp fish sauce
1 lime, juiced, plus extra to season
6 ‒ 8 prawns (shrimp), peeled, deveined, tails intact
100 g vermicelli noodles, softened in boiling water
90 g bean sprouts
150 g green beans, trimmed, chopped into bite-sized pieces
coriander leaves (cilantro leaves), to garnish
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Set your slow cooker to the sauté function. Add the and, once hot, add the and and sauté for 30–45 seconds until fragrant, then add the and the sliced . Continue to cook for another minute.
Add the and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and it looks like it is beginning to split. Turn the heat to low.
Stir in the , , and . Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.
Remove the lid and turn the heat to high. Add the and cook for 2–3 minutes, or until just cooked through.
Gently remove and, working quickly, pour the laksa into serving bowls. Add the and top with the , the , , and coriander.
Season with extra lime juice and serve piping hot.

