4 Great Substitutes for Laksa Paste

Laksa paste is a hidden ingredient in all of the unusual and delectable dishes of stir-fried Laksa fried rice and bowls of steaming hot laksa noodles.

And I can only imagine how difficult it would be to prepare your favorite laksa recipes without it.

Allow me to twist that filthy thought out of your head.

Because you’re wasting your one-way ticket to create that laksa meal with something even MORE tasty while you’re beating yourself up for running out of laksa paste in the middle of the night.

Yes, you read that correctly; there are replacements for laksa paste that may rescue the day, such as shrimp paste, Thai red curry paste, Pad Thai sauce, or Thai green curry.

What Is Laksa Paste?

Laksa is a popular Malaysian noodle soup, but laksa paste is the basis needed to make it.

In the food processor, combine dried chilies, shallots, lemongrass, galanga, spices, turmeric, dry shrimp, and shrimp paste. They are then sautéed in a little amount of oil to enhance flavor and to make it pasty.

This paste may be found at your local supermarket among the flavor bases or in the Asian-inspired area.

If not, go to an Asian grocery store.

Where is Laksa most often consumed?

Laksa is a Southeast Asian dish that originated in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. But, Laksa is now available in eateries all over the world.

Laksa comes in a variety of flavors, but the most common are thick rice noodles in a fiery broth or a delightful coconut soup seasoned with sour asam, with some intriguing toppings like shrimp, fish, or chicken.

Also see: Thai Curry Paste Varieties

Best Laksa Paste Substitutes

Thus, if you’re wondering what to use in lieu of laksa paste in a recipe, say less.

We’ve identified the following substitutes, which will enable you to make a tasty, steaming cup of noodle soup without the original paste.

To be clear, none of the above substitutes perfectly replicate the original taste of laksa paste. But I can assure you that they will help you on your way to making a spicy noodle soup.

1. Thai Red Curry Paste

Since the components are comparable, we believe Thai red curry paste can hold the fort against laksa paste.

If you’ve ever produced laksa paste at home, you’ll notice that the bulk of the components in both pastes are the same.

They both contain lemongrass, red chili peppers, shrimp paste, galangal, garlic, and kaffir lime leaf, for example.

Consider it an excellent substitute for laksa paste. Although most Thai red curry pastes do not contain kaffir lime leaf. However, if you want the paste to taste like Laksa, I recommend adding it.

Moreover, Thai red curry paste is a punchy foundation that seems rich and has an aromatic flavor that is warm with flavors of garlic and ginger.

I’m sure you’ll return back for more of this paste. The aroma is soothing and heady, with spicy aromas and tomato-eye.

The spicier version is richer and more spicy. I’m quite sure the flavor or amount of heat varies greatly depending on who prepares it.

Moreover, Thai red curry paste is flexible, serving as a flavor basis for a variety of different Thai foods such as soups, stews, and curries, marinades, sauces, Thai fish cakes, and condiments.

It also goes nicely with practically everything, including chicken, beef, hog, duck, and shrimp.

Also see: How Does Red Curry Taste?

2. Thai Green Curry Paste

Thai green curry paste, on the other hand, may be used in lieu of laksa paste for two reasons.

To begin with, they are extremely similar to red curry paste. The only difference is that they are green instead of red because of the green chilies.

Second, the essential components comprise the A, B, and Cs of laksa paste: cilantro, basil, and kaffir lime leaf.

However, this is only a glimpse behind the curtain. Follow the link to learn more about how green curry paste is prepared.

There, we’ll show you how to produce your own green paste from scratch, not only with the necessary materials but also with the exact measurements.

The green base is less punchy and spicy than the red curry paste. It also has a sweeter and more distinct fragrance.

If you like fragrant qualities over fiery chile, this choice will be preferred over the more pungent, earthy flavors of red curry paste as a laksa replacement.

Since the paste is so tasty on its own, you may use it in soups, curries, and stews without cooking them for long. It can also be used as a base for your favorite noodles, salad dressings, and seafood dishes.

3. Shrimp Paste

Remember some of the ingredients in the laksa paste?

Shrimp paste is one of them. You may also use it in place of laksa paste in your next soup meal.

They are mostly found in supermarkets or Asian grocers in the staples section.

While they are just finely crushed krill (prawns) or shrimp combined with salt and fermented for weeks, you may add some kaffir lime leaves, garlic, and lemongrass to create a more genuine laksa flavor.

Shrimp paste has a distinct aroma and a savory, salty flavor. It works well in most curries, sauces, sambal, and other dishes.

Also see: Massaman Curry Paste Substitutes

4. Pad Thai Sauce

You should also consider pad Thai sauce.

The reason for this is that Pad Thai is generally served as a noodle meal with no soup. Using the sauce for Laksa is probably not a terrible idea.

Pad Thai Sauce is a combination of oyster sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and tamarind. Tamarind is the heart and soul of every pad Thai sauce, providing it with its signature sour umami taste.

While the sauce is not as strong as laksa or red curry paste, it may be served with pasta salads or rice noodles for a really Thai experience.

If you still want a more real laksa alternative, skip this step.

It is best to make your own laksa paste using common ingredients and a blender. If you could get all of the components together, you could leave the rest to me.

Purchase the following items from any supermarket or Asian grocery store:

Ingredients And Measurements

• 6 long dried red chilies
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 chopped brown onion
• 2 lemongrass stems, just the white part chopped
• 3cm galangal, peeled and cut
• 5 pcs cashews
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons shrimp paste
• 1 tbsp peanut oil. Some people may use vegetable or avocado oil.

Let’s start by making your laksa paste from scratch.

How To Prepare A Homemade Lakse Paste [In Just 5mins]

Step 1

To begin, place all of your dried chilies in a small heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Before draining the water, leave it for ten minutes or until it softens.

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Step 2

In a mini fry pan, heat the cumin, coriander, paprika, and turmeric over medium heat.

Cook the mixture until the aromas begin to emerge and you can smell them. Then set it aside to cool.

Step 3

It’s time to get out the food processor. In a food processor, combine the chopped onions, lemongrass, garlic, galangal, chilies, nuts, shrimp paste, and spice combination.

It should be finely minced after processing. Pour in your preferred oil. Then, continue to process until it forms a smooth paste.

Tad-Dah! You’ve just made your first batch of laksa paste.

You may use it straight away or store it in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Conclusion

To summarize, if you are vegan or follow a plant-based diet, you must use a vegetarian-based laksa paste. You can buy them in stores or online.

Better still, with our user guide, you can make your own laksa paste in only 5 minutes. That way, you may set some away and not have to scramble when the rainy days arrive at your dinner table.

If your grocer is out of stock, you can use any of the above laksa paste substitutes with confidence.

These substitutes work just well; but, your dish will not taste Precisely the same if you use laksa paste.

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