Main Vegetarian Vegan

Meera Sodha’s 18-Karat Laksa

The only thing I know of to be more successful than this recipe in dispatching a whole bag of carrots is a horse. Roasted, the carrots’ natural sweetness counters the intensity of the aromatics and spices in this curried laksa and, along with the coconut milk, balance it out perfectly. On a separate note, it’s taken me ten years to finally write a recipe that uses a kilo of carrots for a main course. I’m so proud of it, I may just frame it and put it up next to my Grade 1 piano certificate in the downstairs bathroom. 

20 minutes prep, 40 minutes cook

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the quick pickled bean sprouts

100g bean sprouts

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp salt

For the laksa

1kg carrots, peeled

2 tbsp + 75ml rapeseed oil

1 brown onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

3cm by 3cm ginger, chopped

2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves and top third discarded and the rest chopped

15 fresh curry leaves

Salt

4 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

2 tsp mild curry powder

1 tbsp caster sugar

2 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 x 400ml tin coconut milk

240g tofu puffs

320g medium rice vermicelli noodles

20g fresh Thai basil leaves to serve

Method

1 To make the pickle, pop the bean sprouts into a small heatproof bowl with the vinegar, salt and 150ml of freshly boiled water and leave to one side for 10 minutes, then drain. 

2 Meanwhile, halve the carrots lengthways and chop into 3cm chunks. Place in a single layer on a large roasting tray or two, drizzle over 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle over ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix with your hands and roast for 40 minutes. 

3 While the carrots are roasting, make the laksa paste. Place the 75ml of oil in a small blender along with the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, curry leaves,1¼ teaspoons of salt, chilli powder, curry powder and sugar and blend to a smooth paste. Scrape every last bit of the paste into a large pot, then rinse out the blender and keep to one side – you’ll need to use it again. Heat the paste in a large saucepan or pot over a medium flame for 12 minutes, stirring regularly, then add the soy sauce, coconut milk, carrots, tofu puffs and 850ml of water.

4 Bring to a boil and simmer for 8 minutes, then take a heaped ladleful of the carrots with some of the liquid and pop it into the blender. Blitz until smooth, then add back to the pot and stir. Turn the heat off and pop a lid on, while you cook the noodles according to packet instructions. 

5 To serve, distribute the noodles across four bowls, then ladle the laksa and carrots between the bowls. Place a small pile of pickled bean sprouts on top, along with a few Thai basil leaves. 

From DINNER by Meera Sodha. Image: David Loftus