I noticed that there are two variations of this dish, one stir-fried and another with sauce similar to soup. I prefer the one with soup that isn’t a bit spicy, so that the different seafood tastes are intact. The noodles should also be just right or al dente as they call it. This recipe will definitely keep you warm during these rainy days.

 

Ingredients:

100g rice vermicelli noodles

500 ml coconut milk

300g medium sized prawns, peeled and deveined (do not discard the shells)

2 fish cakes, sliced

100g bean sprouts, slightly blanched just before serving

10 pieces Tau Pok

10 sprigs Laksa Leaves also known as Vietnamese mint (Daun Kesom)

50g Dried prawns, grinded

150ml oil

750ml water

salt and sugar to taste

 

For the paste mixture:

8 cloves garlic

10 shallots

1/2 tablespoon turmeric (Kunyit)

1 tablespoon galangal (Lengkuas)

4 Candlenuts (Buah Keras)

1 stalk lemon Grass (Serai)

2 teaspoons shrimp paste (Belachan)

12 Dried Chillies, soaked until soft

 

Soak the vermicelli in hot water for 5 minutes until soft. Drain and set aside.

Place the shrimps in a pot of boiling water. Blanche it until they turn pink around 5 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside. Add the shrimp heads including the shells and the mint leaves. Bring it to a boil and then let it simmer for 15 minutes.  Discard the shells and leaves.

Combine the garlic cloves, shallots, turmeric, galangal, candlenuts, lemon grass, shrimp paste and soaked dried chili in a food processor or blender. Process the ingredients until smooth. You may also use a mortar and pestle to do so.

Heat the oil in a wok or a saucepan over medium heat. Fry the paste mixture for 10-15 minutes until light brown and fragrant. Add the dried shrimp. Fry it for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the fried paste mixture into the pot with shrimp broth. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and slowly pour in the coconut milk. Let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Season it with salt and sugar to taste. Add the tau pok and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.

Put some vermicelli in individual bowls and then add the tau pok, bean sprouts, fish cakes and shrimp. After pour soup into the individual bowls. Garnish with mint leaves and add chili if desired. Serve immediately.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  InterContinental Hong Kong