Butternut squash and tamarind laksa with smoked tofu
- ⏱ 1 hour 5 minutes
- Hard
- Serves 6
- 👥 2-cook recipe
A fragrant tamarind laksa with roasted butternut squash, smoked tofu, soba noodles, herbs and lime.
Adapted from Great British Chefs.
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This recipe, inside the app
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Butternut squash an...
0/0
COOK 1COOK 2
1Mise en place
Prep 25 g green chillies: chop
Prep 40 g garlic for laksa paste: chop
Prep 65 g ginger for laksa paste: peel and chop
2Toast the spices
3Plate and serve
+ 34 more steps in the app
Butternut squash an...
0/0
COOK 2COOK 1
1Mise en place
2Toast the spices
Lightly toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, star...
3Plate and serve
+ 34 more steps in the app
Ingredients
- 3 g coriander seeds for laksa paste
- 3 g cumin seeds
- 3 star anise for laksa paste
- 1/2 stick cinnamon stick for laksa paste
- 25 g green chillies (chopped)
- 40 g garlic for laksa paste (chopped)
- 65 g ginger for laksa paste (peeled and chopped)
- 60 g galangal (peeled and chopped)
- 3 stalk lemongrass for laksa paste (tough outer layer removed and finely sliced)
- 6 lime leaves for laksa paste (tough stem removed and chopped)
- 1 bunch coriander for laksa paste
- 150 ml vegetable oil
- 80 ml coconut oil
- 3 star anise for laksa
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds for laksa
- 1 stick cinnamon stick for laksa
- 1 red onion
- 1 red chilli for laksa (split lengthways)
- 4 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 4 stalk lemongrass for laksa (trimmed, bashed and finely sliced)
- 1 handful lime leaves for laksa
- 100 g ginger for laksa (peeled and chopped)
- 50 g turmeric (peeled and chopped)
- 1 bunch coriander for laksa (stalks chopped and leaves reserved)
- 125 g tamarind paste
- 30 g palm sugar (grated)
- 40 ml fish sauce
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 3 limes (juiced)
- 300 g butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
- 200 g soba noodles
- 300 g smoked tofu (diced to 1cm cubes)
- 1 bunch spring onions (green parts finely sliced, white parts shredded and crisped up in iced water)
- 1/2 bunch mint (leaves picked)
- 1 red chilli for serving (finely sliced)
What you'll need
You'll share: Spice grinder, Vitamix, Oven, Baking tray, Large pan, and 6 bowls.
Each of you needs your own: Cutting board, Chef's knife, and Mixing bowl.
The full plan
Split between two cooks — each step says who's on it.
1. Mise en place COOK 2
- Prep 25 g green chillies: chop
- Prep 40 g garlic for laksa paste: chop
- Prep 65 g ginger for laksa paste: peel and chop
- Prep 3 stalk lemongrass for laksa paste: tough outer layer removed and finely slice
2. Toast the spices COOK 1
- Lightly toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, star anise and cinnamon stick for the laksa paste, finely grind the spices
3. Mise en place COOK 1
- Prep 60 g galangal: peel and chop
- Prep 1 red chilli for laksa: split lengthways
4. Mise en place COOK 2
- Prep 4 garlic cloves: chop
- Prep 4 stalk lemongrass for laksa: trim, bash and finely slice
- Prep 100 g ginger for laksa: peel and chop
- Prep 50 g turmeric: peel and chop
5. Blend the paste COOK 1
- In a Vitamix, place the ground spices and the remaining laksa-paste ingredients, select Variable 1 and, gradually increase to Variable 8, using the tamper to push the ingredients down into the blade
- Let it run for 1 minute
- Turn the machine off
- Scrape the laksa paste out into a container and weigh out 125g for this recipe
🤝 Cook 2 hands over their prepped ingredients.
6. Fry the paste COOK 1
- In a large pan, heat the coconut oil over a moderately high heat and add the 125g of laksa paste, star anise, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, onion, chilli and garlic
- Fry until soft, fragrant and beginning to caramelise
🤝 Cook 2 hands over the garlic cloves.
7. Mise en place COOK 2
- Prep 1 bunch coriander for laksa: stalks chopped and leaves reserved
- Prep 300 g butternut squash: peel and cube
- Prep 30 g palm sugar: grate
- Prep 3 limes: juice
8. Heat the oven COOK 1
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
9. Mise en place COOK 2
- Prep 300 g smoked tofu: dice to 1cm cubes
- Prep 1 bunch spring onions: green parts finely sliced, white parts shredded and crisped up in iced water
- Prep 1/2 bunch mint: leaves picked
- Prep 1 red chilli for serving: finely slice
10. Fry the aromatics COOK 1
- Add the lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger, turmeric and coriander stalks and continue to fry for a further 5 minutes
🤝 Cook 2 hands over their prepped ingredients.
11. Roast the squash COOK 1
- On a baking tray, roast the butternut squash for 20 minutes or so until cooked through and beginning to caramelise
12. Simmer the laksa COOK 1
- Add the tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce
- Cook until the palm sugar has dissolved
- Add the coconut milk
- Cover with vegetable stock or water, gently simmer for 15 minutes
- Take off the heat and allow to cool
- Remove the whole star anise and cinnamon stick and discard
13. Cook the noodles COOK 2
- In a large pan of lightly salted water, bring the water to the boil, add the noodles and bring back to a rapid simmer
- Cook for about 5 minutes until al dente, refresh under cold water
🤝 Cook 1 hands the large pan to Cook 2.
14. Blend the laksa COOK 1
- Once cool enough to handle, blend in the Vitamix on Variable 8 until smooth
- Add the lime juice and check the seasoning, adding more lime juice or fish sauce to taste
🤝 Cook 2 hands over the limes.
15. Plate and serve BOTH
- Divide the noodles between 6 bowls
- Pour over piping hot laksa
- Scatter on top the roast butternut squash, smoked tofu, herbs, chilli, spring onions and a wedge of lime on the side, Serve immediately
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