Chicken Laksa

Chicken Laksa is a rich and aromatic Malaysian soup that tantalizes the taste buds with its harmonious blend of coconut milk, spicy chili paste, and flavorful herbs. In this recipe, I used shallots, garlic, cilantro, spring onions and pumpkin. You can add chili paste later if you want to make it more spicy but the succulent chicken pieces in the rich fragrant but clean broth alongside rice noodles, creates a hearty and satisfying dish. Garnishing it with fresh cilantro, basil, and a squeeze of lime- for me, Chicken Laksa is a bowl of comfort that transports me to the happy and vibrant streets of Southeast Asia especially in Singapore, the country I love dearly and it is where I tried my first ever Laksa.

Ingredients:

2 pieces Chicken Breast, cut into pieces

1/2 cup Minced Chicken

1 cup pumpkin, sliced into pieces

1 cup combined herbs, (shallots, spring onion, garlic, cilantro)

1/4 tsp of each (paprika, chili, pepper, turmeric, ginger powder, salt)

Rice noodles, soaked in cold water

Chicken broth

Fish sauce

Fresh herbs

Preparations:

1. Saute minced chicken in a pot with a bit of oil, then add pumpkin slices. Combine all fresh herbs, blended and add it in. Add 2 cups of water, 1 piece of chicken broth cube and simmer until the pumpkin is tender.

2. In the meantime, cook the chicken breast. In a bowl, add the chicken, paprika, ginger, turmeric, garlic powder salt and pepper. Add a bit of oil. Mix.

3. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add a splash of oil, then place the chicken, cooking for 3-4 minutes on each side. After the chicken is done, generously drizzle it with a mixture of honey and lemon (my secret to achieving irresistibly glossy and moist chicken).

4. Once the pumpkin is cooked and tender, add the pre-soaked rice noodles. Pre-soaked noodles are ready when added in a hot water for 1-2 mins.

5. Serve the noodles with the chicken on top with your fresh herbs. I garnish mine with some basil and cilantro. Enjoy!