Ingredients
For the Rempah/Spice paste:
2 stalks lemongrass (use tender white part only, chopped)
2 thumb size pieces of fresh turmeric (peeled)
40 slices galangal
12 candlenuts
20 dried red chillies (or 3/4 - 1 packet of ground chili paste)
25 shallots (small onion)
1 small piece belachan, lightly toasted
2 tbsp belachan/terasi
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
Chili Oil:
200ml oil
25 dried red chillies
Other ingredients:
400g fish cake, thinly sliced
600g medium prawns, shells removed
900g fresh thick vermicelli
600g bean sprouts
150g dried shrimp (soaked in water for 30 minutes and then ground finely for frying later)
1 litre thick coconut milk
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
20 laksa leaves (finely chopped)
4 stalk of Vietnamese Mint (Daun kesom)
DIRECTIONS
Pound or blend all the ingredients for the rempah until well combined. Set aside.
To make the chilli oil, heat the oil in a hot wok, add the 20 chillies and stir-fry for 10min or until the oil separates from the chillies. Discard the chillies, leaving the chilli oil in the wok.
Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the fish cake and prawns. Drain, remove from the heat and set aside. Throw away the water.
Refill the pot with water and bring it to the boil. Blanch the vermicelli and bean sprouts, then drain. Divide into 5-6 bowls. Top with the prawns and fish cake.
Reheat the chilli oil in the wok, add the rempah and fry until fragrant. *Add the ground-dried prawns at this stage and keep frying. Also add the last bit of water that was used to the prawns. Use about 1 to 2 cups of each. Cook the rempah for about 30mins - 45 mins until fragrant. As you are frying, add a tablespoon at a time, the thick coconut milk until 1/2 of that quantity is used (please reserve the other 1/2). By this time, also add 4 stalks of Vietnamese mint (Daun kesom) and keep stirring. Slowly add the thin coconut milk and keep stirring to make sure that no lumps form. Let this soup boil (while continuously stirring) for about 30 minutes and add salt to taste. The final step is to add the remaining thick coconut milk to thicken the soup. Do this on medium heat for a few minutes and then switch off fire. DO NOT COVER POT!
Ladle the laksa gravy over the vermicelli and garnish with laksa leaves.