Chewy noodles, an egg and prawns bring this "instant" noodle dish to life. Photo / Getty Images

In 2022 it seems almost impossible to save money, buy good food and treat yourself all at the same time. Enter Fakeaway Fridays, the Herald's new series where we create fake takeaway (fakeaway) meals that not only are delicious and nutritious but also come in under $15 and serve 2-4 people.

So instead of dropping $50 for a takeaway meal this Friday night, why not try a Fakeaway! It's easier than you may think with our simple tips and tricks and partially-made products already hiding on your supermarket shelves.

I'm very partial to a takeaway laksa – the warm coconut-based broth and chewy noodles all topped with a soft-boiled egg. But not only is transporting a laksa home in a car an OSH issue, but it can also be pricey for the privilege.

I recently dropped $38 for two laksas for my family which left me underwhelmed and out of pocket, so I decided to hunt down how to make a speedy version at home.

The pastes and the flavour packets all bombed and lacked a certain sparkle that comes from a takeaway version. And making my own from scratch took way too long for a Friday night - food purists don't come at me again.

That was until I stumbled upon Prima Taste Laksa from my local supermarket. At $5.29 per packet, I was hesitant, but indulged.

What resulted was an explosion of flavour that with a few simple additions made this laksa just as tasty as a takeaway. And while this is more of a "hack" than a recipe, it'll be one you're glad you have in your fakeaway artillery. Here's how I did it.

2 x packs of Prima Taste Laksa - $5.29 = $10.58

A handful of mung bean sprouts $2.40 per bag = about $1.20 worth

100g prawns - $2.20 (from the seafood deli counter)

½ a carrot cut into circles – 30 cents

Optional: Chilli oil or chopped peanuts to top

Method Bring 1 litre of water to the boil for noodles/soup as well as water in another pot to boil eggs

When water is boiling, add noodles, flavour packet and carrot and mix well

Leave to simmer on low, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes

Add prawns in the last few minutes and allow to cook through

Take off boil and split between 2 deep ramen-style bowls

Top with bean sprouts and a drizzle of chilli oil or peanuts if desired.

Note: These make two huge portions! You could easily split this across 3 people and bulk up with more veggies if needed