A quick and easy way to get a Singapore curry la mian fix.

One of my favorite Southeast Asian dishes is kari laksa, a spicy and creamy soup enriched with coconut milk, popular in Singapore and Malaysia. I like to get it at the “night market” counter at Curry Leaves in Flushing. Sometimes I don’t want to get up at 6 a.m. for noodle soup, though. That’s why I’m glad that I picked up a package of Prima Taste Singapore Curry La Mian at Old Town Asia Market.

The la mian kit contained two brown packages “(A) Curry Paste” and “(B) Curry Premix.” The instructions said to add (A) to the water first. When I saw the vibrant orange paste, I knew was in for a treat. Even uncooked it had a distinctly funky aroma of curry, shrimp paste, and other SEA aromatics like ginger and lemon grass. Envelope B contained a white powder which I soon learned was dehydrated coconut milk. After some stirring and letting it come to a boil, I added the noodles. For the last few minutes of the boil I added some prepackaged tuna fish.

The finished product, spicy, creamy,and  ready for slurping.

As promised on the package the noodles did have a “robust authentic taste.” They were spicy, rich with coconut, and fragrant. They were not a soup though, and didn’t quite satisfy my curry laksa jones. I will probably be hitting up Curry Leaves sometime soon. Still and all these noodles are among the best instant Southeast Asian food I’ve had. And at $2.50 a package,they’re well worth it.

Old Town Asia Market, 133-31 39th Ave., F-09, Flushing Mall, Flushing, 347-255-7128