Laksa

The richness comes from one ingredient

Laksa’s broth looks and tastes complex — chili, dried shrimp, lemongrass, turmeric all going into the paste — but nutritionally, one ingredient does most of the work: coconut milk. Per serving, across four servings:

Twenty grams of saturated fat per serving, almost all of it from the 400 ml of coconut milk in the broth, is high for what reads as a noodle soup rather than a cream-based dish — coconut milk’s fat is naturally more saturated than most plant fats, closer in proportion to dairy cream than to a vegetable oil. Rice noodles carry most of the carbohydrate; protein stays moderate, driven by the shrimp alone.

Swapping in a lower-fat coconut milk, a common adjustment, lowers both figures substantially without changing the dish’s character much — the spice paste is what defines laksa’s flavour, not the fat content of the liquid it’s simmered in.

History

Laksa comes out of Peranakan culture, the descendants of Chinese traders who settled along the Malacca Strait as early as the 15th century and married local Malay women. Out of that union came a hybrid cuisine that pairs Chinese noodles and techniques with Southeast Asian spices: coconut milk, lemongrass, chili, shrimp paste. Two main branches developed side by side: curry laksa, built on coconut milk, and the tangier asam laksa, based on tamarind and flaked fish, most common in Penang.

Every Malaysian and Singaporean region claims its own version as the one true laksa, and the arguments between Penang, Sarawak and Johor loyalists stay lively. In 2011, a CNN Travel reader poll ranked Penang’s asam laksa first on a list of the world’s most delicious dishes, which did a great deal for its international fame.

Ingredients — Serves 4

• 400g thick rice noodles
• 400ml coconut milk
• 500ml chicken or fish stock
• 3 tbsp laksa paste (chili, dried shrimp, lemongrass, turmeric)
• 200g peeled shrimp
• Bean sprouts, laksa leaves (or mint) to garnish
• 2 tbsp oil, salt

The laksa recipe, step by step

1. Fry the laksa paste in hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns properly fragrant.
2. Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer and let it infuse 10 minutes, covered.
3. Stir in the coconut milk gradually, then let it simmer gently, never at a hard boil.
4. Poach the shrimp directly in the broth until they turn pink and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Cook the noodles separately according to the package, drain, and divide them among the bowls.
6. Pour the hot broth over the noodles, and garnish with bean sprouts and laksa leaves.

Cooking method

Technique: a gentle simmer of the coconut-milk broth, never at a hard boil, so it doesn’t split.

Traditional equipment: a clay pot or deep wok; a heavy-bottomed saucepan works very well too.

Signs to look for: the broth should lightly coat a spoon, colored and glossy with chili oil pooling on the surface.

Economic context

Coconut milk, rice noodles and a modest amount of shrimp keep laksa affordable relative to its perceived richness, which is part of why every stall in Malaysia and Singapore can afford to make its own version and still compete on price. The genuine cost driver, where there is one, is the laksa paste’s ingredient list — dried shrimp and fresh aromatics — rather than the broth itself.

Source: World Bank / FAO, Food Prices for Nutrition database (Cost and Affordability of a Healthy Diet) v4.0, 2024 data, CC BY 4.0, DOI 10.57966/41AN-KY81. Retrieved 29 July 2026. This figure describes the cost of a healthy diet in Malaysia generally — it is not a costing of this specific recipe.

Who this dish suits

And you?

In your opinion, where’s the best place or restaurant to enjoy good laksa?

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