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A bowl of Curry Laksa with various toppings such as tofu puffs, lime slices, bean sprouts, cilantro, chilies, and fried eggplant.
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5 from 6 votes

Easy One-Pot Curry Laksa (Malaysian Coconut Noodle Soup)

A rich and fragrant vegan Malaysian-style curry laksa packed to the gosh darn brim with creamy coconut broth, tender eggplant, and more noods than you can shake a stick at. It's a comforting, nourishing meal you can make in just one pot without wrecking your whole kitchen with a cooking mess.
Prep Time4 minutes
Cook Time26 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Curry
Cuisine: Indonesian, Malaysian, Singaporean
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 826kcal
Author: Adam Sobel
Cost: $8.50

Equipment

Ingredients

For the fried toppings:

  • 1 cup canola oil vegetable oil, or sunflower oil for frying (or cooking oil for air frying)
  • 1 large Japanese eggplant 1 cm. sliced on a bias
  • 2 cups king oyster mushrooms cut into long thin strips
  • 12 curry leaves optional

For the Curry and Noodles:

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil vegetable oil, or sunflower oil
  • ½ cup shallots or red onion, diced
  • 4 teaspoons garlic minced
  • 12 curry leaves optional
  • 2 tablespoons sambal oelek
  • 4 teaspoons red curry paste
  • 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar coconut sugar, or brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or lime juice
  • 6 cups unsalted vegetable stock if using salted stock- hold back on the salt you add to the recipe
  • 3 servings ramen noodles 3 oz. (85 g.) each, or other noodles of your choice
  • 400 ml coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

To Serve and Garnish:

  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves
  • 2 bird’s eye chilies thinly sliced
  • 3 lime wedges
  • 12 tofu puffs cut in halves (or use homemade fried tofu instead)

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the curry leaves to the hot oil and fry them for about 45-60 seconds until they become crispy. Remove the curry leaves with a slotted spoon and set aside. If air frying, toss the curry leaves lightly in oil and air fry at 350°F (175°C) for three to four minutes. Set aside.
  • Once the curry leaves have been removed from the oil, add the sliced eggplant and fry for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack suspended over a baking pan. If you are air frying instead, spray the eggplant slices with a small amount of cooking oil and air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 6-7 minutes until golden and tender.
  • Once the eggplant pieces have been removed, fry the king oyster mushrooms until they are browned and crispy, then transfer them to the wire rack to cool and drain. Carefully discard the oil from the pot, leaving it clean for the next steps. Alternatively, lightly coat the mushrooms with cooking spray, and air fry the mushrooms for 5-6 minutes at 400°F (200°C) just until tender.
  • Add one tablespoon of oil to the pot over medium heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, sauté the diced shallots for 4 minutes until translucent and fragrant. 
  • Stir in the minced garlic, curry leaves, sambal oelek, red curry paste, and curry powder. Cook for a couple of minutes until the mixture becomes fragrant.
  • Add the rice vinegar, pour in the vegetable stock and turn the heat up to high to bring the broth to a boil. 
  • Once boiling, add the noodles and cook until they are al dente, following the package instructions.
  • Turn the heat off under the pot and stir in the coconut milk and add salt to taste.
  • To assemble, use tongs to distribute the noodles evenly in the center of each bowl. Use a ladle to spoon the curry broth into each bowl over the noodles. Top with the fried eggplant, mushrooms, and curry leaves. Garnish with bean sprouts, cilantro leaves, bird’s eye chilies, lime wedges, and tofu puffs, using a spoon to briefly submerge the tofu puffs in the broth so that they absorb some of the flavor.

Notes

🥥 Coconut Smooth Operator
Adding coconut milk at the end is key. Boiling it messes with the texture, so stir it in off the heat to keep the broth smooth and prevent curdling. Plus, it cools the soup slightly, making it ready to eat sooner.
🧅 Aroma: The Spice of Life
Cook the spice paste until it darkens and smells amazing. Keep stirring to prevent the sugars from burning, and scrape the bottom of the pot to avoid sticking and buildup.
🍳 Oil Hacks
Both mushrooms and eggplant soak up oil during frying. Fry the curry leaves first while there's plenty of oil. If the pot runs dry after the eggplant, just add a splash more before adding the mushrooms.

Nutrition

Calories: 826kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 81g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 39g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 663mg | Potassium: 961mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1374IU | Vitamin C: 165mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 6mg