600 ml chicken stock
200 ml coconut milk
150 ml oil for frying
spice paste:
2 shallots, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 stalk lemongrass
2 to 3cm galangal
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
3 candlenuts
3 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp Belachan
20 g dried prawns, soaked for 10 minutes and drained
must have herbs:
small bunch of Vietnamese mint
6 kaffir lime leaves
to serve:
100 g (dry weight) thick rice vermicelli, prepared and cooked according to instructions on packet
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
10 raw prawns, peeled and deveined
6 pieces tofu puffs, each sliced into 4 pieces
50 g bean sprouts
half cucumber, sliced
1 lime
1 fresh chili to serve
sugar and salt to taste
In a bowl, place noodles and some bean sprouts. Scoop 2 to 3 ladles of broth into the bowl. Garnish with cooked prawns, tofu puffs, sliced eggs, cucumber and most importantly the finely-sliced Vietnamese mint. Squeeze some lime if you like it slightly tangy, and fresh chili for extra heat.