In this week’s FODMAP Friday recipe, I’m sharing a recipe for meatball laksa, with some handy tweaks to make this traditionally onion and garlic heavy dish low FODMAP!
Laksa is a delicious Southeast Asian curry soup. If you’re a fan of ramen I recommend you give this delicious recipe a try. Traditional laksa recipes will include huge amounts of onion and garlic, which contain high amounts of FODMAPs. A few simple tweaks can make this dish accessible to all!
By making your own curry powder (most commercial curry powder mixes contain garlic and onion powder) and using the top, green part of the leeks for flavour (we remove these after frying in oil to create a flavoured oil), we reduce the FODMAP content enough so that it’s tolerable for most people.
If you want to make this recipe a little lighter, replace the coconut milk with its low-fat counterpart and use a lean meat to make your meatballs – like chicken or turkey
As with all our dishes it is important to understand your tolerance levels and exercise caution if you are particularly sensitive
Recipe
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Serves: 2
Prep/cooking time: 20 – 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 50g leek tops (green part) – be careful to wash these thoroughly
- Low FODMAP curry powder mix
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp crushed red chili pepper flakes (or you can substitute 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Low FODMAP Tip – Why not make a larger amount of this curry powder mix and store in a sealed container to use again?
- 500ml low FODMAP chicken stock – Most commercial stocks contain garlic and onion, but in very small amounts, so if you’re not in the elimination phase you may be able to tolerate them. Some supermarkets may also carry low FODMAP stocks – check the packaging! In FoodMarble, we have found this brand works quite well – this contains small amounts of onion and garlic but we have been able to tolerate it fine. If you’re concerned, use half of the stock cube with 500ml of water.
Or – check out the recipe for home made stock below!
- 150ml coconut milk
- 200g minced meat (I used minced lamb)
- 1 block of rice noodles
- 1 carrot cut into matchsticks
- Handful of beansprouts
- Fresh coriander to serve
Our ingredients ready to go
Method:
- Heat the coconut oil in the bottom of a pot and add the leek tops. Sweat them down for 5-6 minutes on medium-high heat. Remove leeks and use the flavoured oil.
- Add your curry powder mix, stir it in and cook for a further 30 seconds until the mixture becomes fragrant.
- Add the chicken stock and reduce the heat to medium, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot.
- Form your minced meat into approximately 1 inch diameter balls. In a frying pan cook the meatballs (about 10 – 15 minutes at a medium heat until cooked through), ensuring to develop a good crust on the outside of the meatball. De-glaze the pan with the coconut milk, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the good stuff left from cooking the meatballs.
- Cook your rice noodles according to the instructions on the packet.
- Now add your coconut milk/meatball mixture to the stock pot, along with the carrot. Stir the mixture and continue cooking on medium for 5-10 mins.
- Add the beansprout and noodles and cook for 1 minute.
- Serve in bowls topped with fresh coriander.
Finished laksa ready to serve!
Recipe For Homemade stock
Shop bought stock usually contains onions and garlic, which is a huge problem for many people. A handy trick is to make your own homemade stock. If you regularly buy a whole chicken, once you have removed all of the meat, simmer the carcass for two hours in a large pot filled with water.
You can also add low FODMAP vegetables, like the green tops of spring onions for extra flavour but just using the carcass will get you a very good homemade stock. You can use this for making white or brown stock.
White stock:
Once the stock has simmered for two hours, carefully sieve the liquid into a smaller container. You can freeze this stock for extended periods of time. It can be used as the base for lots of sauces and dishes. It is really handy to have it at the ready and it is low FODMAP.
Brown stock:
Alternatively, you can sieve the stock into a smaller pan and let it reduce on a medium heat, until it starts to turn a darker brown colour. Once the stock becomes thicker in consistency, it is ready. This stock has stronger flavour and is great for adding flavour to dishes. I recommend freezing it in a small container.
FoodMarble is a pocket-sized breath analysis device. It helps people with chronic digestive issues determine the foods that work best with their digestive system. To learn more about FoodMarble, visit www.foodmarble.com.
