Spring green and purple sprouting broccoli laksa
Soups & stews
Spring green and purple sprouting broccoli laksa
This is a take on a laksa, a curried coconut noodle broth. Use a homemade chicken broth made from leftover roast chicken carcass. If you’re cooking for smaller children, by all means tone down the chilli and spices accordingly. Serve this as it is, or add some tofu pieces or sprinkle with some toasted nuts or coconut chips.
Ingredients
- 2 large or 3-4 small shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- large piece of ginger, approx 50g, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 green chillies, roughly chopped
- 2 sticks of lemongrass, use the bottom ⅓ of each only, roughly chopped
- large bunch of coriander, stalks and leaves chopped separately
- 2 tins of coconut milk (800ml total)
- 200g rice noodles
- oil for frying e.g. sunflower or coconut
- 2 tablespoons curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1.5 litres chicken stock, plus a little more as needed
- 300g spring greens
- 200g purple sprouting broccoli (psb), use the whole thing, stalks, flower head and leaves, cut to similar sized pieces, not too large
- 2 courgettes, diced, or use a bunch of green beans, chopped
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal
- 2 limes
- light brown sugar, to taste
- salt
Method
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Step 1
First make the laksa paste: put the shallots, garlic, ginger, chillies, lemongrass and coriander stalks into a food processor and blitz, adding half a tin of coconut milk (give it a little stir before adding).
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Step 2
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool and prevent them from sticking.
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Step 3
Heat a splash of oil in a large saucepan. Add the laksa paste in a saucepan and heat gently for 5 minutes, on the lowest heat possible (keep an eye it doesn't burn, add a splash of water if needed).
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Step 4
Add the curry leaves and curry powder. Fry for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the coconut milk and the chicken stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.
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Step 5
After 10 minutes, add the spring greens, purple sprouting broccoli and courgettes or beans. Simmer until the spring greens have wilted down and the psb is just tender, approx 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the liquid level and top up with a little more stock if needs be. You want a little broth at the end.
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Step 6
Add the squeezed juice from 1 lime, half the coriander leaves and season to taste with salt. Add a little sugar or an extra squeeze of lime juice to taste if needed; you're looking for a mix of sweet, sour and salty.
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Step 7
Divide the noodles between four serving bowls. Spoon in the veg then pour over the sauce. Sprinkle over the spring onions and the rest of the coriander leaves. Serve with a wedge of lime.
