Tofu & Shiitake Laksa with Buckwheat Noodles

This is one of those recipes that looks more daunting than it actually is, although you could take a short cut by buying a ready made laksa paste. Ready-made pastes aren't too bad, but they tend to lack the real sting an zing of the home-made stuff.

Whichever type you use, there will be a world of difference between this laksa, which seethes with vivid and intriguing flavours and the tubs of rich, sickly ready-made laksa you will find in most supermarkets.

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For the Paste
1 lemon grass stalk - inner leaves roughly chopped
2-3 Thai Chillies, to taste - halved and deseeded
3 garlic cloves, crushed and roughly chopped
1 thumb root ginger - peeled and roughly sliced
1 large shallot - roughly chopped
A handful of fresh coriander - leaves and stalks roughly chopped
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

For the Soupy Bit
250g buckwheat noodles
250g firm tofu
200g shiitake mushrooms
Pak Choi
4 tbsp. coconut oil
1.5 L veggie stock
400 ml coconut milk (1 tin)
5 Kaffir lime leaves
Handful of fresh coriander
3 bushy sprigs of mint
1 TBSP soy sauce or tamari
Lime wedges to serve

Put all of the paste ingredients into a blender with 4 tablespoons of water and whizz into a slightly coarse sludge, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Refrigerate for up to 72 hours - sometimes I don't bother and the dish still tastes fab!
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Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, drain, and rinse under cold water. Leave to one side. 
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Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat. Scape every bit of the laksa paste into the pan and cook it for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Increase the heat to medium and then stir in the vegetable stock, coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves.

Cover the pan and boring the contents to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the broth for around 15-20 minutes. Add the shiitake, pak choi, and tofu and cook them, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Then stir in the tamari or soy sauce and add the reserved noodles and continue simmering for 1-2 minutes until piping hot.
Divide the laksa among the serving bowls. Strew the chopped mint and coriander over each bowl and perch a wedge of lime on top to be squeezed into the broth.

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