Creamy Malaysian laksa

A LITTLE EFFORT 1OF5 ADAY

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 15 mins

200g pack fat rice noodles 1 tbsp vegetable oil 200ml/7f oz coconut milk 1 litre/13/ pints chicken stock

4 4 shell-on raw tiger prawns (buy the

largest ones you can afford) 50g/2oz pak choi, sliced 50g/2oz tofu, cubed 50g/2oz beansprouts chilli sauce, to serve (optional) crispy onions, to serve (optional – I

used Danfood Onion Salad Crispies) FOR THE SPICE PASTE 1 tsp each cumin and coriander seeds 1 tsp each ground cumin and turmeric 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tbsp shrimp paste 1 onion, chopped 50g/2oz ginger, peeled and chopped 1 lemongrass stalk, outer leaves

removed, thinly sliced 4 lime leaves, chopped 50g/2oz blanched almonds, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped 1 tbsp fish sauce

1 To make the spice paste, fry the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan for 1 min or until they release their aroma. Lightly crush using a pestle and mortar. In the same pan, fry the ground spices for 1-2 mins, then the shrimp paste for 1 min or until the aromas are released. Put the shrimp paste and all the spices in a food processor with the rest of the paste ingredients and blitz until smooth. 2 Cook the noodles following pack instructions, then drain and set aside, tossing with a little vegetable oil to stop them sticking together. 3 Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the spice paste and cook for 3-4 mins, stirring frequently, until it is sticky and jam-like. Add the coconut milk and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, then add the prawns and pak choi. Cook for a further 2-3 mins or until the prawns have turned pink. 4 Divide the noodles, tofu and beansprouts between four bowls. Spoon over the laksa and serve with chilli sauce and crispy onions, if you like. PER SERVING 478 kcals • fat 21g • saturates 9g • carbs 50g • sugars 5g • fbre 3g • protein 21g • salt 2.5g

1OF5 ADAY SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 45 mins

A LITTLE EFFORT

VIT C IRON

100g/4oz ghee 2 large onions, sliced 4 whole quails, giblets removed 1 litre/13/ pints chicken stock

4 10 curry leaves 50g/2oz plain four FOR THE CURRY PASTE 50g/2oz ginger, peeled and chopped 6 dried red chillies, soaked in warm

water for 15 mins 2 tsp shrimp paste 1 shallot, sliced 1 lemongrass stalk, outer leaves

removed, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 tsp turmeric

tsp tamarind paste 2 1 tbsp palm sugar coconut rice, to serve (I used Tilda)

1 First, make the curry paste. Put the ginger in a small bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 5 mins. Drain the dried chillies from their soaking liquid and roughly chop. Heat the shrimp paste in a pan for 1 min or until the aromas are released. Put the chillies, shallot, lemongrass, garlic and turmeric in a food processor and blitz until fnely chopped. Add the tamarind, shrimp paste, palm sugar and soaked ginger, reserving the liquid to loosen the curry paste to the consistency of a thick purée. 2 For the curry, heat half the ghee in a large pan over a medium to high heat. Add the onions, and fry for 10-12 mins or until they are a deep golden brown, then set aside. 3 Heat the remaining ghee in the pan and season the quails inside and out. Fry the quails for 8 mins, turning the birds occasionally in the pan until they are golden on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. 4 Add the curry paste to the pan and cook for 1-2 mins, then return the quails to the pan along with all the other ingredients. Give everything a good stir, bring the curry to the boil, then simmer gently for 15-20 mins. Serve one quail per person with the coconut rice. PER SERVING 580 kcals • fat 39g • saturates 20g • carbs 23g • sugars 10g • fbre 4g • protein 32g • salt 1.1g