Bring a medium sauce pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the noodles well and set aside.
While the noodles cook and drain, prepare the remaining ingredients.

• Trim the stem ends from the green beans; cut the beans into 1-inch pieces.
• Rinse the tofu and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate; cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes.
• Strip the laksa leaf from the stem; coarsely chop the leaf.
• Coarsely chop the cilantro; divide the cilantro into 2 equal portions, one for the sauce and one for the garnish.

In a large frying pan or wok over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil until hot but not smoking. Stir in the lemongrass paste and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the green beans and as many dried chiles as you like. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the tofu, coconut milk, brown sugar, and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender and the tofu is heated through, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the laksa and half the cilantro; season to taste with salt.
While the sauce, beans and tofu cook, prepare the remaining garnishes.

• Rinse the mung bean sprouts.
• Cut the lime into wedges.

Transfer the noodles to individual bowls and top with the tofu mixture and lemongrass sauce. Garnish with the bean sprouts and the reserved cilantro. Serve with the lime wedges.

Chef’s Tip While pasta water is almost always salted in Italian cooking, in many Asian cultures, the water is never salted for noodles or rice. Instead, the seasonings come from the sauces and condiments that accompany them.