Laksa is the Southeast Asian noodle dish traditionally served in a rich, spicy coconut-milk soup with chicken or seafood. It is especially associated with Peranakan and Malay food traditions and has many regional forms.
Curry laksa, also called curry mee in some places, typically combines wheat or rice noodles with coconut milk, chili, aromatics, tofu puffs, prawns, chicken, or fish cake. Asam laksa is a different major style: it uses a sour fish-based broth, commonly flavored with tamarind, and generally does not have the same coconut-rich profile.
Laksa developed in the multicultural trading communities of maritime Southeast Asia, where Chinese noodle traditions met local spices, herbs, and ingredients. Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and southern Thailand each have recognizable versions.
Because “laksa” covers a family of dishes rather than one rigid recipe, ingredients vary considerably. The common thread is a strongly seasoned noodle soup with regional ingredients, not one single fixed broth.