Laksa

Peranakan origins

Laksa emerged from Peranakan (Straits Chinese) cooking — the culture that developed when Chinese traders settled in the Malay archipelago from the 15th century onwards and blended with local Malay customs and food traditions. The name is likely derived from the Sanskrit word for “100,000,” referring to the many possible ingredients.

The main variants

• Curry laksa (Kuala Lumpur) — rich coconut curry broth with turmeric and galangal; the most widely known style internationally; served with prawns, chicken, fish cake, tofu puffs, and cockles
• Asam laksa (Penang) — sour, tamarind-based fish broth with no coconut milk; strongly flavoured with mackerel, pineapple, cucumber, and torch ginger flower; considered by many to be more complex than the curry version
• Sarawak laksa — East Malaysian variant; rich prawn-based coconut broth with a distinct reddish colour and garnishes including omelette strips and sambal belacan

The paste

Laksa paste (rempah) is the heart of the dish — a complex spice paste ground from galangal, lemongrass, dried shrimp (belacan), turmeric, candle nuts, dried chillies, and shallots. Commercial pastes are widely sold; from-scratch pastes require a stone mortar.

Laksa leaf

Vietnamese mint (Persicaria odorata), also called laksa leaf, is the distinctive fresh herb garnish — a peppery, pungent herb with no direct substitute.