That is Extremely Suggest, a column devoted to what we’re consuming, consuming, and shopping for. Right here, Urmila Ramakrishnan writes concerning the spice kits that make cozy weeknight meals attainable in file time.
Making curry laksa from scratch is form of like making Sunday sauce—the creamy, gently spicy noodle soup is an intensive labor of affection that takes a whole day, if not longer. However that does not assist when a sudden craving strikes on a Wednesday evening. That’s the place Homiah makes dinner a bit simpler. The Southeast Asian spice package model markets itself as a Southeast Asian Pantry that delivers “taste with out the fuss.”
Like Omsom, the small-batch model that delivers massive on taste, Homiah simplifies essentially the most iconic dishes of the Malay archipelago with out watering them down. The model provides three completely different kits that make two servings of both Singaporean Laksa, Indonesian Rendang, or Malaysian Purple Curry. On the core of Homiah’s kits is a method known as rempah, which includes pounding spices right into a moist paste earlier than frying them to launch the flavors.
Rempah is essentially the most arduous a part of making laksa, together with sourcing substances like candlenuts, galangal, and belacan. Homiah condenses this hours-long course of into one which takes mere minutes. All you need to do is simmer the sauce packet with water, then add your favourite noodles, toppings, and a splash of coconut milk. I normally bulk mine out with toppings like puffed tofu, a 7-minute jammy egg, bean sprouts, or frozen shrimp balls.
The top outcome tastes like a soup that is been simmering away for hours in a haze of coconut milk and spices. It strikes a stability of simply spicy sufficient, but additionally slightly candy, and the entire concoction coats your mouth the best way that the very best laksas do. I nonetheless relish making laksa from scratch on the occasional lazy Sunday, but it surely’s good to have Homiah in my pantry for these chilly, cozy weeknight meals—and it is so a lot better than ordering takeout.
