Chelsea Goodwin's cheap and easy weeknight laksa

The Guardian

27-05-2025

This stripped-back vegetarian laksa is very customisable. You can make the broth mild or as spicy as you can handle.
For a mild option, reduce the curry paste to one tablespoon; if you're seeking heat increase it to three.
For a meat option, you can add steamed dumplings, cooked prawns or leftover shredded chicken.
To make it vegan, omit the eggs and check your curry paste. Maesri red curry paste is vegan but not all Thai pastes are. You can also increase the variety of vegetables by adding any leftover broccoli, beans, snow peas or bean shoots you have in the fridge.
Finally, to make the dish gluten-free, use rice noodles and gluten-free soy sauce.
Serves 4
For the laksa2 cloves garlic2 tsp fresh ginger2 bunches baby bok choy
500g fried tofu puffs
Green onions (dark part)4 eggs1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp Maesri red curry paste
400ml tin coconut milk
4 cups (1 litre) vegetable stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar300g dried rice or wheat noodles1 tbsp lime juice
ToppingsCoriander leaves, washed and chopped1 red chilli, sliced (optional)
To prep, crush the garlic and grate the ginger. Halve the bok choy lengthways, then wash to remove grit. Halve the tofu puffs and thinly slice the green onions.
To soft-boil the eggs, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Turn down the heat to medium-low, gently lower the eggs into the water and set a timer for six minutes. While the eggs cook, prepare a bowl of iced water. When the timer goes off, immediately remove the eggs from the pan and leave in the iced water.
Heat the oil in a wok or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry paste, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for two minutes.
Add the coconut milk, stock, soy sauce and sugar and bring to a simmer. Add the tofu puffs, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for five minutes to develop the flavours.
While the laksa cooks, prepare the noodles, following packet directions, then drain and set aside. Peel and halve the eggs.
Add the bok choy to the laksa broth then cook for three to four minutes, until the stems are just tender.
Spoon the noodles and bok choy into four bowls. Stir the lime juice into the broth, then ladle laksa into the bowls, sharing the tofu puffs evenly among them. Top each bowl with two egg halves, sliced green onions, coriander leaves and sliced chilli if using.
You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
This is an edited extract from Money-Saving Meal Plans with Chelsea by Chelsea Goodwin, photography by Melissa Darr (Penguin, A$36.99)