Infused with ginger, lemon and lime, this creamy seafood laksa is served on a bed of raw zucchini zoodles which soften and warm through the heat of the soup, thus keeping their full form and flavour. There are two cooking options here. Either make it in a regular stovetop saucepan, or use the Instant Pot. It’s a great example of how the Instant Pot can be used to quickly make a soup using both the ‘Sautè’ and the ‘Manual’ functions.
Calamari and Prawn Laksa – An AIP Instant Pot Recipe
No time for chit-chat? Scroll down for the recipe.
A traditional Laksa in Chinese-Malay cuisine is a spicy soup of curried coconut milk or tamarind, usually served with thick rice noodles and with seafood or chicken. For those on a healing diet, the spices might not go down too well, nor the rice noodles. But that’s no reason to renounce the deep comfort provided by a creamy soup and the enjoyment of twirling noodles. In this recipe, the long ingredient list of a traditional curry has been abandoned. Instead, fresh garlic, ginger, lemon and lime come together beautifully in an AIP compliant recipe which is as satisfying as it is easy to make.
Take the Instant Pot Travelling
During the launch of The AIP Instant Pot Cookbook (link in sidebar) someone made a point which I hadn’t thought about before. I’m pretty sure it was Eileen on Phoenix Helix, but I’ve just poked around and can’t find the comment, so if I do find it I’ll post the link. Anyway, the point is that the Instant Pot is really great to take with you travelling, especially if you have dietary issues whereby you feel safer preparing most of your own food. Obviously, it’s not going to work for backpacking, or for situations where you’re catching planes, trains and lugging suitcases around. But if your trip involves a car, a campervan and an electrical socket, then making room for the Instant Pot is brilliant idea. It means you can have nutrient dense, safe meals ready in a flash, and some of those can be cooking away on their own while you’re out sight-seeing. How good would it be to whip up a quick laksa when you’re holidaying by the coast, even though you might not have a stove top or saucepan on hand?
How Will You Make Your Laksa? Stove Top or Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot instructions are posted in the printable Recipe box below.
The Stove Top instructions are easy:
- Melt the coconut oil in a medium sized saucepan over a low heat. Add the ginger and garlic. Sautè for 1 minute.
- Add the leek and celery. Sautè for another minute, stirring continuously.
- Add the zest, salt, broth, coconut milk and calamari. Stir briefly to combine.
- Increase the heat, bring to the boil, and then reduce the heat. Simmer the laksa for 10 minutes.
- Add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes.
- Distribute the zoodles and basil leaves between bowls. Ladel over the hot laksa, and serve with lemon and lime wedges on the side.
You’ll love the fact that the zoodles don’t fall apart, as they do if you cook them in the laksa.
However you choose to make this – enjoy!
On the Side
Lemon Scented Fish Broth – Makes a beautiful base for this laksa. AIP compliant.
White Fish in a Creamy Coconut Sauce with Ginger, Lemon, Thyme and Mint – Oh, this dish is one of our favourites. It’s really lovely!
Instant Pot Love – 11 Irresistable Reasons Why You’ll Fall in Love with the Instant Pot. Not including that it’s great to take travelling. That’d be point No.12.
The Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook – A Review – My rave about this amazing resource, here on the blog. The sidebar link, on the other hand, will take you to the e-book’s lead page.
This recipe has been shared in the The Paleo AIP Instant Pot Cookbook and on Real Food Fridays, Foodie Friends Friday, Gluten Free Fridays and The AIP Recipe Roundtable.
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- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 cup sliced leek
- ½ cup diced celery
- zest of a lime
- zest of a lemon
- 1 teaspoon iodised coarse sea salt
- 1½ cups fish broth or water
- 1½ cups coconut milk
- 10 oz / 300 grams calamari rings
- 2 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles
- 20 large fresh basil leaves
- 10 oz / 200 grams whole prawns
- lemon and lime wedges for serving
- Set the Instant Pot ‘Sautè’ function to ‘Less’. Add the coconut oil to the pot, and when warm, add the ginger and garlic. Sautè for 1 minute.
- Add the leek and celery. Sautè for another minute, stirring continuously.
- Add the zest, salt, broth, coconut milk and calamari. Stir briefly to combine.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and lock it, turning the valve to the ‘Sealing’ position. Set the ‘Manual’ function to 2 minutes.
- After the timer sounds, open the Instant Pot using the Natural Pressure Release method (or, wait 10 minutes and then use the Quick Release). Take off the lid.
- Set the Sautè function to ‘Normal’ and bring the laksa back to simmering point. Add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the Instant Pot off.
- Distribute the zoodles and basil between bowls. Ladel over the hot laksa, and serve with lemon and lime wedges on the side.
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Looks entirely awesome!!!! Putting this on my “to make” list.
I hope you love it!
HI Amber,
This sounds delicious with spiralized zucchini noodles and zesty lemon lime taste. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted! Have a healthy, happy & blessed Thanksgiving!
Thanks, Marla, and I hope your Thanksgiving is full of love! A