LAKSA

2. Boil the fish in Group A in the about 1 litre of water for 1/2 an hour. Strain the water and keep it to use as stock. Pick the fish meat free of bones.

3.Peel the fresh prawns. Keep the prawn shells. Fry the prawn shells until fragrant. Next grind the shells coarsly. The put the shells into a strainer which is sitting in a pot. Pour water slowly stirring the shell. About 11/2 litres of water is to be used. The liquor collected is to be used as stock. The peeled prawns should be boiled until cooked.

4. Pour the liquid in Step 2 and Step 3 together with the coconut milk. Add the fish meat. Bring to a boil. Add the paste from Step 1. Simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Place some bean sproutsand rice vermicelli in a bowl. Add the hot gravy into the bowl. Garnish with fish cake, prawns, cuccumber, polygonum, hardboiled egg. The presentation can be seen in the photograph above.

Sufficient for 10 bowls or servings

The Chilli Paste

50 gms Dried Chillis
5 Red Chillis
20 gm shrimp Paste
5 ml water
1 teaspoon salt
20 ml cocconut milk

1. Grind all the above into a fine paste.
2. Fry the paste in about 20 ml of cooking oil.
3. Add the salt and coconut milk.
4. Stir fry until fragrant.part 1
5. Remove and put into a separate bowl.

Group A
20 gm Tumeric
250 gm Galangal sliced to fill 1/2 a cup
20 dried peppers
5 red peppers
12 candlenuts
50gm of Shrimp Paste
250 gm shallots
1 tablespoon coriander

Group B
1 kg Wolf Herring (Ikan Parang in Malay)
1 litre water

Garnish
Cooked prawns from Group C
8 fish cake, fried and sliced into strips
3 Cucumbers cut into strips
60 gm polygonum (daun kesom in Malay)
4 hardboiled eggs quartered.