200g dried rice vermicelli noodles
1tbsp peanut oil
400g Swiss Brown mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Malaysian laksa paste
400ml can coconut milk
2 cups fish or chicken stock
300gm firm white fish fillets, skinned and cubed
100g snow peas, trimmed and diagonally sliced
75g bean sprouts, trimmed
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 lime, juiced

Place the noodles into a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water.  Leave to stand for 10 minutes or until tender.  Drain the noodles and place into 4 deep serving bowls.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok over high heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes or until tender.
Add the laksa paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  Stir in the coconut milk and stock.  Bring to the boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the fish to the soup and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.  Stir in the snow peas and cook for 1 minute.
Place the green onions and ½ the bean sprouts on the noodles in the serving bowls.  Ladle the hot soup into the serving bowls, drizzle with lime juice and top with remaining bean sprouts.
Serve immediately.


Preparation:   20 minutes
Cooking:         20 minutes
Serves 4-6


Note:  Malaysian laksa paste is an essential ingredient in laksa.  It is a spicy, robust-flavoured paste made with ground chillies, herbs, spices and shrimp paste.