Asian

Curry Laksa

A 30-Minute Malaysian-Inspired Cheat Version

Laksa was one of the dishes I ordered most while travelling through Malaysia: spicy, fragrant, creamy and deeply comforting. This is my shortcut version for bringing those flavours home without making laksa paste from scratch. Store-bought curry laksa paste forms the base, coconut milk makes the broth rich and silky, and tofu puffs soak up all that spicy coconut curry broth.

By Ivana Sanshia · Updated Sep 2026

Curry Laksa, a Asian recipe
Prep10 min
Cook20 min
Total30 min
Serves4
LevelEasy
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Before you start

Get your mise en place ready so nothing catches you out mid-cook.

Method

  1. 1

    Fry the brinjal slices in 2 tbsp oil until golden and soft, then set aside.

  2. 2

    Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry laksa paste and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until intensely fragrant and the oil begins to separate from the paste.

  3. 3

    Add the bruised lemongrass and curry powder. Fry for about 30 seconds, stirring so the spices don't burn.

The rest of this recipe

There’s 8 more ingredients and 6 more steps to go.

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Ivana Sanshia’s note

Vegetarian & Vegan Laksa Paste: Many curry laksa pastes contain shrimp paste, dried shrimp or other seafood ingredients. If making this vegetarian or vegan, check the ingredients carefully and choose a paste specifically labelled vegetarian or vegan. For a vegan laksa, also use vegetable stock and egg-free noodles.

Laksa Paste Strength: Laksa pastes vary considerably between brands in saltiness, chilli and concentration. Taste the broth before adding any additional salt or chilli.

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