Ingredients

For the Sarawak Laksa Paste:
• 10 shallots, coarsely chopped
• 5 large garlic cloves
• 3/4 lb galangal, chopped
• 10 fresh long red chilies, cut into chunks. You can make it less spicy by removing the seeds
• 1/2 cup dried red chilies, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and drained
• 5 stalks lemongrass -white parts only- coarsely chopped
• 3.5 ounces macadamia nuts or cashews. (I had neither, so I just used almond powder)
• 3/4 cup roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted
• 3 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1/2 cup coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 6 pieces star anise, toasted and ground. (I didn't have this so I used cinnamon instead- big mistake)
• 7 toasted and ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg (I didn't have this so I skipped it)
• 10 cardamon pods
• 2 cups soy bean oil
• 5 tablespoons salt
• 1/4 cup palm sugar
• 8 ounces tamarind pulp, mixed with 1 cup boiling water
For the Kuching Style Laksa (served 4):
• 2 quarts Dark Universal Stock by Anthony Bourdain (I used chicken stock that I had in my fridge)
• 1 large chicken breast, bone-in (I skipped this completely)
• 3/4 cup Sarawak Laksa paste.
• 16-20 jumbo shrimps, deveined, tails intact, shells reserved for stock
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp soy sauce (I used tamari instead)
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 8 ounces rice vermicelli
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (I used like 2 cups instead because I LOVE coconut milk)
• Around 2 cups mung bean sprouts
• Fresh cilantro for garnish (I was all out, so I used mint instead. NOT the same, do not repeat at home)
• Lime wedges for garnish
• Sambal belcan paste, for ganrish to taste

Instructions

For the Sarawak Laksa Paste:
1. Juice the galangal and lemongrass. The reason I don't put these directly into the processor and because I feel these never grind to a fine paste due to the nature of the fibers. However, a sieve can easily solve this problem.
2. Put the shallots, garlic, galangal + lemongrass juice, fresh red chilies and dried chili peppers, nuts, seeds and spices into a food processor.
3. Working in batches, grind the ingredients into a fine paste.
4. Heat the oil in a wok or a wide, heavy-bottom braising pan over medium heat.
5. Add all the ground up mixture into the oil and fry it for about an hour, frequently stirring it to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan or scorching.
6. After about an hour of stirring and cooking, stir in the salt, sugar, and tamarind water and continue to cook and stir for another 20 minutes. (I skipped this step and just added a fraction of the tamarind and sugar when I made the actual broth. The second time I omitted the tamarind and sugar all together and liked the result MUCH better)
7. Let cool.
8. Transfer to storage containers; cover and refrigerate.
9. Note: If sealed and refrigerated, the mixture will keep for up to a month.
For the Kuching Style Laksa:
10. Cover the shrimp shells in water, and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 20 minutes.
11. In a heavy bottom pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil, then add in the chicken. Reduce to a simmer, and let it cook for 12 minutes.
12. Turn off heat, cover pot, and let chicken sit inside for 12-15 minutes.
13. Remove chicken from the stock, and when cool enough to handle, shred and set aside. Discard bones.
14. Stir the laksa paste into the stock.
15. Using a strainer to hold back the shrimp shells, add the shrimp stock into the chicken stock + laksa paste mixture. Cover and let the stock simmer on low heat for 30 minutes
16. While the stock simmers, whisk two large eggs and 1 tbsp soy sauce in a bowl.
17. On medium heat, heat oil in thick based pan and pour the egg mixture on top. Let it cook for two minutes, then flip over with a spatula and turn off heat.
18. Once the soy sauce egg has cooked, let it cool, cut into strips and set aside.
19. Place rice vermicelli in a bowl, pour hot water on top. Let it sit for 5 minutes, agitate them a bit to keep from sticking, then drain water and toss the vermicelli in a few drops of oil if they seem to be sticking. Set aside.
20. Strain the stock mixture through a sieve, return to a high flame, and add in shrimps. After 30 seconds, remove shrimp and set aside.
21. Add coconut milk into the stock mixture, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and prepare to serve.
22. Divide the bean sprouts, chicken, shrimps and vermicelli among 4 bowls. Pour hot Laksa broth on top. Service with cilantro, lime wedges, chili peppers and sambal belcan.