Penang Asam Laksa (Sour Spicy Tangy Fish Gravy Soup Noodles)

Ingredients:

1 kg fresh or dried thick round rice noodle (laksa noodles)
600 g spanish mackerel fish, cleaned
1500 mL water

250 g shallot, blended
2 tbsp freshly blended chili paste (from 50 dried chili, soaked, drained and blended)
tamarind juice (filtrate of 2 tbsp tamarind paste (asam jawa paste) in 800 mL water)
2 (2 inches) thumbs galangal (lengkuas), crushed
3 stalk lemon grass, crushed
2 wild ginger buds (bunga kantan), crushed
10 sprigs laksa leaves (d/polygonum odoratum/daun kesom), bunched
10 slices dried tamarind skin (asam gelugor/asam keping)
3 tbsp belacan (dried shrimp paste)
1 tsp sugar or to taste
3 tsp salt or to taste

Garnish:

wild ginger bud (bunga kantan), finely chopped
lettuce, thinly cut
cucumber, cut into thin strips
red onion, thinly sliced
fresh sprigs mint leaves (daun pudina), stems discarded
pineapple, cut into thin strips
fresh red chili, sliced
sticky prawn paste (haeko/harkou/otak udang), diluted with enough hot water
crispy prawn crackers

Method:

In a large pot, boil fish in water for at least 15 minutes or till cooked.

Remove fish from fish stock and set aside to cool to handlable temperature.

Flake the fish meat and discard bones; set aside.

Filter the reserved fish stock to remove any leftover fish bones.

Return fish stock to flame, bring to boil.

Add-in flaked fish meat and all the remaining ingredients, reduce to moderate heat, left to simmer uncovered for at least 2 hours or till to the desire concentration.

Remove and discard laksa leaves.

Adjust taste accordingly with sugar and salt.

Keep gravy hot on low flame till serving.

To prepare the dried noodles; bring enough water to boil, parboil noodles till just right cooked-thorough, remove noodles from boilling water and immediately run under cold water; drain well.

To prepare the fresh noodles, blanch noodles in hot water briefly via the help of sieve.

To serve; assemble individual serving bowls with a handful of noodles in each, add-in a little of each preference garnishs, ladle piping hot gravy over the noodles and garnishs, drain gravy back to stockpot and again ladle piping enough hot gravy over the noodles and garnishs.

Serve hot immediately with a dollop of prawn paste (adjust the amount of prawn paste accordingly to the personal preference) and a crispy prawn crackers on top.