Fish Amok - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Kreung Paste
5 kaffir lime leaves, ribs removed, thinly sliced
3 california dried red chilies, soaked in water until soft, drained, seeds discarded, chopped
3 slices galangal, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 slices lesser ginger, peeled and chopped (kacheay)
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 stalks lemongrass, bottom parts only, thinly sliced
2 small piece fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Fish Amok
1/2 cup coconut milk, plus another 1/2 cup for garnish
1 tablespoon chili paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 lb boneless skinless meaty white fish, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
8 banana leaves
4 handfuls baby spinach leaves
4 fresh red chilies, cut lengthwise several times from the tip to 1/4 inch from the stem end
steamed white jasmine rice, for serving

Preparation

For the kreung paste:
Pound together the lime leaves, red chiles, galangal, garlic, kacheay, shallots, lemongrass and turmeric, a few ingredients at a time, using a mortar and pestle until a fine paste forms.
For the fish amok:
Mix together the kreung paste with the coconut milk, chili paste, fish sauce, sugar, shrimp paste, salt and egg in a large bowl. Add the fish and combine well with the kreung paste marinade. Set aside and allow the marinade to infuse the fish, about 15 minutes.
Set up a steamer. Make the banana leaf (konthoang) bowls by placing 2 banana leaves on top of each other and folding into little rectangular bowls with the tapered sides folded up and held together with bamboo toothpicks. Make 4 konthoangs total. Make a bed of spinach leaves in the bottom of each konthoang. Divide the marinated fish between the bowls, and place on top of the spinach beds. Spoon 2 tablespoons of coconut milk over each serving of fish and top off with a fresh red chile. Place the filled konthoangs (amoks) in the steamer and steam until the fish is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Enjoy with steamed white jasmine rice!
Cook's Note: Amok can also be made with boneless, skinless slices of chicken or peeled and deveined large shrimp.