Laksa With Ground Bison

It is pretty cold out there, so a bowl of spicy laksa is really good for dinner. It is one pot meal kind of thing, so no need to think about side dishes.

Today, I want to share laksa recipe that I made using  ground bison (American buffalo)  instead of  a big chunks of meat. It was one of those day that I wanted to cook a meal that won't required a long time to cook it. You could use regular beef chuck or beef shoulder for this laksa, or you can also use poultry such as chicken, or duck. If you do, obviously you will need to adjust the cooking time as well.

Laksa With Ground Bison
Serve 4 - 6

1 lb ground bison, or ground beef
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/2 tbs chopped garlic
2 candle nuts, chopped (use cashew nuts if you can't find candle nuts)
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp grated fresh galangal, or 1/4 tsp powder
1 tbs coriander seeds, grind
3 red jalapeno chilies ( as much as you can take), chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped two of the Roma tomatoes, and quartered the remaining two.
3 - 5 kaffir lime leaves
1 lemongrass stalk, discrad the outer leaves, cut into 3 -inch, then smash to release its aroma
2 tbs canola oil
5 to 6 cup water, beef, or chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
8 button mushroom, sliced
250 g fresh egg noodles
Brocoli florets, or other vegetable of your choice
salt and pepper, according to your taste

To serve:
2 to 4 boiled eggs, cut each egg in half
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onion (scallions)
fried shallots, optional

Place chopped shallots, garlic, candle nuts, grated ginger, grated galangal, ground coriander, red jalapeno, and chopped tomatoes  in a food processor. Process to make a smooth paste.

Heat canola oil  large soup pot set over medium heat. Add laksa paste, kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass,  fry until fragrant. Add ground bison, break up the lumps using large fork, or the back of wooden spatula. Cook for about 5 minutes, pour in  water, bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, then simmer for 20 - 30 minutes until the meat is cook. Add mushrooms, cook for one minute, add brocoli florets, remaining tomatoes, and coconut milk. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Bring the laksa back to a simmer for about 3 - 5 minutes.

In another large pot, bring water to a boil. Cook noodle according to package direction, drain, divide among 4 - 6 bowls. Add laksa, garnish with boiled egg, chopped cilantro, green onion, and fried shallots. Serve as a main dish.