Laksa is a popular and delicious soup that’s served in a large bowl. It’s extremely spicy and the flavor comes from laksa paste, which is made from lemongrass, shallots, dried chilies, turmeric, galangal, spices, shrimp paste, and dried shrimps. This paste is often sautéed to add depth to the flavor and is a perfect way of adding spice to noodle soups and curries. However, if you are unable to get your hands on laksa paste, we have listed some alternatives!
Substitute For Laksa Paste
- Thai Red Curry Paste
This is one of the spiciest and punchiest bases that you can try to flavor your food. It is extremely aromatic and is usually made from kaffir lime leaf, red chili peppers, shrimp paste, lemongrass, galangal, and garlic. Since the flavors are similar, the Thai red curry paste is perfect to replicate the flavor. In some cases, the Thai red curry paste has more red chili, which makes it spicier but that version is only used in authentic Thai cuisine. It has a warmth of ginger and garlic and a very comforting aroma.
Since there are various versions of this paste, it’s recommended that you opt for the spiciest one to replace laksa paste because it will be fierier and richer. It pairs with various food items, such as shrimp, duck, beef, chicken, and pork. In addition, it can be used to flavor Thai fish cakes, curries, stews, soups, dressings, and marinades.
- Thai Green Curry
The Thai green curry is similar to the red curry paste but there is one prominent difference – it is made from green chilies as the primary ingredient. In addition to green chilies, this paste has kaffir lime leaves, cilantro, and basil, which add aroma to the recipe. Since there are no other spices in this paste, it is less punchy and is only suitable for people who want an aromatic addition to the recipe. As far as the aroma is concerned, it’s fresh and sweeter.
Having said that, it has a more pungent and earthy flavor because of the herbs that are used in its preparation. It can be used to prepare stews, curries, and soups but make sure you don’t simmer the food for too long once you add the Thai green curry to retain the flavor. In addition, it can be used as a base for salad dressing, seafood recipes, and noodles.
- Shrimp Paste
Commonly known as belacan, shrimp paste is made by crushing the shrimp or krills, which are then mixed with salt. This mixture is fermented for a specific period of time to make sure it’s ready to flavor the food. It is readily available at Asian grocery stores as well as other supermarkets. Since shrimp paste is an important part of laksa paste, you can use shrimp paste to replicate the flavor.
However, it’s recommended that you blend the shrimp paste with garlic, kaffir lime leaf, and lemongrass to bring out the right flavor. The shrimp paste has a pungent and strong aroma, which also leads to a salty and savory flavor. Having said that, you can use shrimp paste in sambal, sauces, and curries.
- Pad Thai Sauce
Pad Thai is one of the most popular Thai recipes which provides a combination of sour, sweet, and salty flavors in every bite. These flavors are achieved with the help of Pad Thai sauce and you can use the same sauce to replace laksa paste. It is made with a combination of fish sauce oyster sauce, palm sugar, and tamarind paste. In addition, the heat and spicy punch is added with chilies. In addition to offering the combination of sweet, sour, and salty flavors, adding it to the recipe will add umami notes as well. As far as the usage is concerned, you can use Pad Thai sauce to flavor the rice noodles and pasta salads.
- Sambal Oelek
This is one of the spiciest pastes out there, which makes it a suitable replacement for laksa paste. It is made from salt, vinegar, and chili peppers, and is widely used as a condiment in Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines. It has a savory and fiery flavor but vinegar also adds sweet undertones. As far as the spiciness is concerned, it varies with how much chili pepper was used but it’s usually hot. It can be added to stir-fries, soups, stews, and dipping sauces.