This must be one of the simplest takes on the Malaysian noodle classic, but it’s no less scrumptious and soul warming. Even better, you can make it in minutes, using up leftovers as you do. The key here is getting your broth right as it creates the canvas – what you add to it from there is up to you.
SERVES 2-4
1 tbsp coconut oil (or use some of the cream from the coconut milk)
1 onion (or 6 spring onions or 2 leeks), thinly sliced
400g coconut milk 2-3 tbsp kimchi paste, to taste
500ml fish stock 1 tbsp fish sauce and/or tamari/soy sauce
100g vermicelli rice noodles, optional (you can just use more veg)
2 carrots, shaved into long ribbons using a veg peeler
A few cabbage leaves, rolled into a cigar-shape and shredded
A few spring onions, thinly sliced
A handful shiitake or seasonal mushrooms 1 lime, zest and juice
A handful of fresh herbs, micro herbs and/or sprouts (such as radish sprouts, bean sprouts)
1 Place a large pot over a medium heat and add the coconut oil or cream from your coconut milk (if using the latter, you might need a little extra). Swirl in the onion, spring onions or leeks, then reduce the heat and gently cook until tender and a little golden.
2 Add the rest of the coconut milk (or all of it, if you used coconut oil initially). Swirl in the kimchi paste (start with a small amount and add more if needed as you layer in the ingredients).
3 Allow the kimchi paste to cook into the coconut milk for 5 mins, then add the fish stock and fish sauce (tamari or soy)and simmer for a further 10 mins to develop the flavours.
4 As the stock base cooks, prepare your veg and cook your noodles in a separate pan, according to the instructions on the pack.
5 Once the stock has simmered for 10 mins, taste and add a little more kimchi paste if needed.
6 Pile in your prepared veg and noodles into bowls then pour the warm, spicy broth over the top. Finish with a grating of lime zest, a good spritz of lime juice, and a smattering of fresh herbs, micro herbs and/or bean sprouts
This is just one of the recipes from our regular Home Economics pages, reviving age-old wisdom about household management to help us value all our resources - our time, and also the ingredients and money we invest in them. In our April issue, Home Economics is all about the Hungry Gap - that time of year just before the new season harvests are ready - and features recipes by Rachel de Thample, including Roasted Trout with Lemon and Dill, Decadent Roast Potato Mash and Cider-Braised Cabbage Wedges, as well as this Leftover Laksa, fish stock and Fish Pie Jackets for your freezer and Kimchi for the pantry.
Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe
