Laksa Lemak

Recipe

500 g (1 lb) Raw shrimps
500 g (1 lb) Prepared fish cakes
185 g (6 oz) Crabmeat, optional
1 tablespoon Oil
10 cups Water
375 g (12 oz) Rice vermicelli
250 g (8 oz) Fresh bean sprouts
1 Cucumber
Salt to taste
Small bunch laksa leaves (Vietnamese mint)
Sambal ulek or sambal bajak
Fresh limes, optional

For the soup -
6 Large dried red chilies
2 teaspoons Dried shrimp paste (belacan)
2 Medium onions
2 teaspoons Laos powder
6 Candlenuts
2 stems Lemon Grass
4 tablespoons Peanut oil
1teaspoon Ground turmeric
1 tablespoons Ground coriander
6 cups Coconut Milk

Method :

1)Wash the shrimps well, remove shells, heads and reserve for making stock.
2)De-vein the shrimps, slice the fish cakes and pick over the crabmeat for any bony bits. Keep the seafood refrigerated until required.
3)Heat a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan, add the well-drained shrimp shells and heads and fry, stirring, until they turn red.
4)Add the water and 2 teaspoons salt and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour or until reduced by a third. Strain stock, discard shells and heads.
5)Pour very hot water over the rice vermicelli in a bowl and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Drain.
6)Pinch any straggly tails off the bean sprouts, wash well and drain in a colander.
7)Peel and seed the cucumber and cut into matchsticks strips.
8)Shred the laksa leaf finely.

To make the soup -

1)Break off stems of dry chilies and shake out the seeds. Soak the chilies and belacan in hot water for at least 10 minutes.
2)Put the chilies, shrimps, onions, laos powder, candlenuts and finely sliced lemon grass (use only the white part) into the container of an electric blender.
3)Add a little of the soaking water to facilitate blending, and grind to a puree.
4)Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy saucepan and fry the ground mixture, stirring to prevent burning, until it is brown and smells fragrant.
5)Add the turmeric and coriander and stir fry for a minute longer.
6)Add the strained stock and simmer for about half and hour.
7)Before serving, add the coconut milk, taste and correct seasoning.
8)Add the sliced fish cakes and crabmeat and bring to simmering point.
9)Drain the rice vermicelli and add to the soup.
10)Heat a tablespoon of oil and stir fry the shrimps for just a couple of minutes, adding a little salt to taste.
11)Serve the laksa lemak in a large bowls, topping each bowl with bean sprouts, cucumber strips, a few shrimps and shreds of laksa leaf.
12)Serve chili sambal separately for intrepid chili eaters and halved limes or lemon for those who prefer a more piquant flavor.