Sarawak
Laksa
6 tablespoons belachan paste
1 1/2 tablespoons tamarind paste...duh
3 stalks lemongrass...hard outer layers removed , soft inner layer
chopped
4 cloves garlic...chopped
3 small red chillies...chopped
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon chilli powder
1/2 tablespoon hot paprika powder (optional)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
5 curry leaves
3 lime leaves
50 ml coconut cream
100 ml coconut milk
500 ml of water
2 tablespoons palm oil
100 g rice vermicelli...this one depends on how much you want to
eat hor
prawns...this wan depends on how much you like seafood hor
1 egg
beansprouts...i personally don''t like beansprouts...so this one
depends on individual taste lor...
a touch of coriander 
Now follow instructions carefully liao:
Wait...for those of you who are unable to consume spicy food
comfortably , please be warned that this dish is HOT...but what's
laksa without its spiciness eh? I guess you can reduce the amount
of spices used...get rid off the chilli powder if you want but
always mantain the belachan paste.
The most important thing is the broth. So here's how i made
it...First , put the garlic (should be chopped by now ar) ,
lemongrass (should already be chopped also hor) and the chillies
(need i tell you?..these should also be chopped already) into a
blender / processor to blend the tastes together....or just chop
them really fine. What you should get is a strong pungent mix that
if mixed with soy sauce will taste good with chicken rice , like
Noel's cheater's chicken rice...haha. In a pot of reasonable size ,
saute this mix with palm oil (actually...what oil you use doesn't
really matter lar) for a while. When you feel happy enough with the
frangrance (not till everything's burnt lar) , pour in the coconut
cream and mix . Then , pour in the coconut milk too . At this point
, mix in the belachan paste , tamarind paste , turmeric powder ,
chilli powder , paprika powder and brown sugar . For extra taste ,
add the lime and curry leaves (preferably torn to expedite this
process) . Let this simmer for a while and to make sure your broth
isn't too sticky , fill her up with water .
As i said , the broth is most of the work...so after this , all you
need to do is cook your vermicelli , prawns and tauge...i just boil
them in a pot of water and set them aside in that order . If you
love omelette shreds like me , fry an egg and cut it lor. Sadly ,
if you haven't noticed , i did not have the time to cook and shred
chicken...i'm still in exam mode hor. Maybe just buy some cooked
chicken and shred lar.
Anyway...pour your broth in a bowl (making sure you filter all the
chunky leaves and all) , drop the vermicelli in , then decorate
with prawns , coriander , tauge and omelette shreds as i
did...haha.Oh...how could i forget? Serve with some extra belachan
and of course , the half lime.
-Excellent recipe from this blog
which is maintained by a group students who strive to cook on a
limited budget as they are all students overseas.
