Singapore Laksa - James Martin Chef

Ingredients

• 5 candlenuts or macadamia nuts
• A 2cm piece of fresh galangal, peeled
• 125g banana shallots, roughly chopped
• 4 – 5 fresh medium hot red Dutch chillies, deseeded, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried shrimps, soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes, drained and patted dry
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tbsp belachan (fermented shrimp paste), toasted
• A 400ml can coconut milk
• 250g dried rice vermicelli
• 750ml water
• 250 g large raw prawns
• 2 tbs cooking oil
• 1 lemon grass stalk crushed
• ½ tbs ground coriander
• 1 – 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• 150g bean sprouts topped and tailed blanched in boiling water for 30 seconds and drained
• 1 – 2 fried Chinese fishcakes sliced 5mm thick
• 1 cucumber peeled and cut into thin curls on a spiraliser or into strips
• 4 hard boiled eggs, halved
• A small bunch of laksa leaves, shredded