Dry Laksa (Siglap Style)

Ingredients

• 300 g thick rice vermicelli or fresh laksa noodles
• 200 g prawns, shelled and deveined (reserve shells)
• 150 g cockles or small clams, cleaned (optional)
• 150 g fish cake, sliced
• 150 g tau pok (firm tofu puffs), halved
• 3 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or peanut) for frying
• 1 medium onion or 4 shallots, roughly chopped (about 120 g)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, chopped
• 1 thumb (20 g) galangal or ginger, sliced
• 1 tsp turmeric powder or 1 small fresh turmeric piece
• 2–3 tbsp dried shrimp (hae bee), soaked and drained
• 2 tbsp belacan (shrimp paste) or 1 tbsp fermented shrimp paste, toasted
• 2–3 tbsp sambal oelek or homemade sambal (adjust to taste)
• 200 ml coconut milk (full fat for richness)
• 400 ml prawn stock (made from simmering reserved shells with 600 ml water) or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate or 1 tbsp tamarind juice for a slight tang (optional)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla) or 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar (palm sugar or caster sugar) to balance
• Handful bean sprouts, blanched (about 80 g)
• A good bunch of laksa leaves / Vietnamese coriander (15–20 g), roughly torn
• Fried shallots and chopped coriander for garnish
• Lime wedges and extra sambal on the side
• Optional: 2 tbsp toasted ground peanuts for a crunchy finish

Step-by-Step Method

1. Prepare the noodles: if using dried rice vermicelli, soak in hot water until al dente (about 4–6 minutes), then drain and rinse under cold water; if using fresh laksa noodles, blanch briefly in boiling water for 30–45 seconds, then drain and toss with a little oil to prevent sticking.
2. Make prawn stock: heat a small pot, add reserved prawn shells and heads, cover with 600 ml water and simmer for 10–12 minutes, strain and set aside (about 400 ml usable stock).
3. Blend laksa paste: in a blender, combine shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, soaked dried shrimp and belacan — blitz into a coarse paste, adding a splash of water if needed. Alternatively use 4–5 tbsp good-quality store-bought laksa paste as a shortcut.
4. Fry the paste: heat 3 tbsp oil in a heavy-based wok over medium-high heat. Add the paste and fry, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the oil separates (5–7 minutes) — key for depth of flavour like a zi char stall.
5. Add liquids and simmer: pour in prawn stock and coconut milk, stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook on medium heat for 6–8 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly — it should become a glossy coating rather than a thin soup.
6. Season the sauce: stir in tamarind concentrate (if using), fish sauce, sugar and sambal. Taste and adjust: add more fish sauce for saltiness, sugar for balance, or sambal for heat — Singapore home cooks often tweak to their liking.
7. Cook proteins: add prawns, cockles and fish cake to the simmering sauce and cook until prawns turn pink and cockles open (2–3 minutes). If using tau pok, add it now to soak up flavours.
8. Toss with noodles: increase heat to high for wok hei, add drained noodles and blanched bean sprouts to the wok, toss continuously for 1–2 minutes until noodles are evenly coated in the reduced laksa sauce. If it looks dry, splash a little reserved prawn stock to loosen.
9. Finish with herbs and texture: remove from heat, fold in torn laksa leaves and sprinkle toasted ground peanuts if using. The laksa leaf should remain bright and aromatic.
10. Serve immediately: portion into bowls, top with fried shallots, extra laksa leaves, lime wedges and sambal on the side. Enjoy like you would at a kopitiam or hawker centre — hot and fragrant.