Malaysian Laksa - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Spice Paste
4 -5 shallots, chopped
6 -7 garlic cloves, chopped
1 piece gingerroot, peeled and chopped (Thumb size)
1 red chile, fresh (more or less, depending to your taste)
1 tablespoon dried prawns or 1 tablespoon dried shrimp
1/2 cup water
Prawn or Shrimp Flavoured Oil
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 raw green prawns or 12 green shrimp, shelled and divined
Laksa Broth
180 ml laksa paste
1 liter chicken stock or 1 liter vegetable stock
400 ml coconut cream
320 g fish balls (optional)
320 g fried tofu, puffs halved (fried tofu puffs)
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
salt, to taste
1 lime, juice of
Toppings
160 g rice vermicelli
350 g egg noodles
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (boiled-stock can be used for the broth!)
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1 spring onion, chopped
1 red chile, sliced
4 tablespoons coriander leaves
2 tablespoons deep fried shallots
fresh lime wedge

Preparation

Shell prawns/shrimp and reserve prawn/shrimp in one bowl and heads and shells in a separate bowl. Set aside for later use.
Using a food process make 'Spice Paste' add shallots, garlic, ginger, chillies, dried prawns and water. Then blend until it forms a smooth paste. Set aside.
In a large pot, add vegetable oil and heat. Once the oil is hot add prawns/shrimp shells and fry for about one minute or until they turn red. Remove from pan and discard. This will add prawn/shrimp flavour to the oil.
To make the 'Laksa Broth' add 'Spice Paste' to prawn/shrimp flavoured oil and fry for a minute. Add laksa paste and simmer for about two minutes. Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to boil,.
Then add coconut cream, fish balls, fried tofu, sugar, fish sauce, salt and freshly squeezed lime juice. Bring to boil.
Half fill a medium pot with water and bring to boil. Add rice vermicelli for a few minutes until they become soft then remove into separate serving bowls.
Add egg noodles in boiling water for five minutes or until soft and transfer into the same bowls as rice vermicelli.
In the same pot poach reserved prawn/shrimp meat until it's pink then transfer them into the same bowl as the rice vermicelli and egg noodles.
Pour 'Laksa Broth' into the serving bowls (same bowls as the prawns/shrimp and noodles).
Then top with shredded chicken, bean sprouts, spring onions, chilli, coriander, fried shallots and serve with lime wedge's.
Enjoy.