Easy Vegan Laksa Paste

One of my favourite food growing up is laksa. I used to have it for breakfast, lunch and sometimes even dinner. I used to look forward to Saturday mornings when my mom would buy laksa for me for breakfast when she did her weekly grocery shopping at the morning markets. However, living in Melbourne buying laksa is not so easy. There are no markets that sell good laksa – I would have to go to a restaurant or an Asian shop for laksa. So, it’s easier for me to make my own laksa.

I usually would take the easy option and buy the laksa paste from an Asian grocer. But this time, I decided to make my own laksa paste. I have been wanting to make my own laksa paste for years, but I never got around to making it. This time I actually bought the ingredients, so I had to make it! But I forgot to buy shrimp paste which is a key ingredient for the laksa paste and so, I had to improvise. This means this laksa paste is vegan friendly 😍

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have. As always, please let me know what you think of this recipe.

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Makes about 2-2.5 cups of laksa paste (serves 6-8 people)

Ingredients

2 red onions, chopped;
3 garlic cloves, chopped;
2 lemon grass, white part only (bottom part);
2 tbsp fresh ginger;
7-8 dried chilli, soaked in hot water overnight or at least an hour (you can use less chilli if you prefer your laksa less spicy);
1 birds eye chilli;
4 tbsp tomato paste;
5 kafir lime leaves, minced;
1 tbsp ground cumin;
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds;
1 tbsp turmeric powder;
Roots/stalk of fresh coriander, about 1/3-1/2 cup lightly packed;
1/3 cup cashews, raw; and
Water.

Method

In a high processing blender, place all the ingredients except the water and blend. Add a bit of water at a time to ensure that the paste can be blended. I had to add about 1/3-1/2 cup of water;
The paste should be well blended and be almost smooth;
Store the paste in a jar. The paste can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months;
You will need to defrost the laksa paste before use; and
Enjoy 😊