Laksa

I apologized for not crediting this as I can't recall which magazine I cut it out from ;-)

Ingredients:

Grind into paste:
1/2 fist-sized galangal, sliced
1 thumb-sized turmeric
5 candlenuts
20 dried chillies, blanched
10 red chillies
2 tbsps crushed belacan
300 gm shallots
1 tbsp coriander seeds

50 gm dried shrimps, pounded
1 kg grated coconut
3 tsps salt
2 tsps sugar
300 gm prawns, for garnishing
2 stalks lemon grass, bruised
Bean sprouts
Rice vermicelli or noodles

Method:
Squeeze coconut for milk. Set aside. Add 2.5 l of water to coconut and squeeze a second amount of milk.
Boil 500 ml of water. Cook the prawns, remove prawns, shell and set aside for garnishing.
Heat 225 ml of oil in a wok and fry ground ingredients till fragrant and the oil is separated from the paste. Add the diluted coconut milk and prawn stock and bring to boil. Add the pounded dried shrimps and simmer over low heat for about 10 mins.
Add the first coconut milk and stir continuously to prevent curdling. Add seasoning and lemon grass.
Pour over prepared bean sprouts and rice vermicelli. Garnish with prawns and daun kesom