Accredited dietitian, recipe developer and food stylist Amanda Maiorano has prepared a fragrant, spicy laksa to fire up your palate

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the laksa paste:

4 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water until softened, drained

4 garlic cloves

2 shallots, roughly chopped

3cm piece ginger, peeled

3cm piece galangal, peeled

2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, roughly chopped

1 tsp shrimp paste (or substitute miso paste)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp store-bought sambal

For the Laksa broth: 

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1L chicken or seafood stock

400ml coconut milk

400ml coconut cream

2 tsp fish sauce

1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar), to taste

Pinch of salt, to season

1 tbsp store-bought sambal

To serve:

500g green prawns, peeled and deveined

250g tofu puffs, halved

400g fresh hokkien noodles

2 cups bean sprouts

Fresh coriander leaves, to serve

Lime wedges, to serve

1 red chilli, finely sliced, to serve

Store-bought sambal, to serve

Method:

Place all laksa paste ingredients into a blender and blend until completely smooth. The paste should be thick and fragrant.

For the broth, heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the laksa paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes until it deepens in colour and becomes very fragrant. The paste should look slightly darker and the oil will begin to separate at the edges.

Pour in the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, coconut cream, fish sauce and palm sugar. Stir well and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Stir through 1 tablespoon of store-bought sambal.

Add the tofu puffs and prawns and simmer for 2-3, or until the prawns are just pink and cooked through. Remove from the heat immediately to avoid overcooking.

Meanwhile, cook the hokkien noodles according to packet instructions.

To serve, divide the noodles between bowls and ladle over the hot laksa broth with prawns and tofu puffs. Finish with bean sprouts, fresh coriander, sliced red chilli, a wedge of lime, and an extra spoonful of sambal.