Gaeng som: A belly-warming Southern Thai dish | Periuk.my

Ingredients

• 10 big dried red chillies, soaked in hot water
• 8 fresh red chilies, roughly chopped
• 5-6 bird’s eye chillies (more if you prefer it spicier), roughly chopped
• 3-4 stalks of lemongrass, bottom white part only
• 1 whole head of garlic, peeled
• 3-4 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2″ piece of fresh turmeric, peeled
• 2″ piece of fermented shrimp paste (belacan)
• 250ml water
• 125ml tamarind juice
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup pineapple, chopped into small wedges (optional)
• 1 small bunch water spinach/kangkung (optional)
• 400g any firm white fish pieces (eg mackerel/tenggiri)