Asam Laksa

Ingredients:-

2 lb fresh or dried thick round rice noodle
3 oz tamarind paste
10 cups water
2-2½ lb fresh wolf herring or Spanish mackerel - cleaned, kept whole
3 heaped tbsp sugar
salt and pepper
14 sprigs Vietnamese mint
2 wild ginger buds
4 pieces dried tamarind skins
3 tbsp prawn paste
The items below has to be grounded
6-8 cloves of garlic
5 stalks lemon grass, thinly sliced
8 oz shallots
1 inch fresh turmeric root
3 tbsp or to taste, chili paste
1½ tbsp belachan

Ingredients for Garnishing:-

1 large seedless cucumber, skinned and thinly shredded
2 red onions, very finely sliced
1 fresh pineapple, cut into thin strips
10 sprigs fresh mint leaves, stems discarded
1 torch ginger, finely chopped [optional]
4 red Serrano chilies, seeded and finely sliced [optional]
Prawn paste [optional]

Preperation:-

If using dried noodles, bring a pot of water to a rapid boil, parboil noodles until 'al dente'
Remove noodles from boiling water, immediately run under cold water to stop cooking, drain well
If using fresh rice noodles, use a sieve to blanch noodles in hot water briefly
Assemble individual serving bowls - put a handful of noodles in each bowl, ladle piping hot gravy over the noodles
Sprinkle a little of each garnishing on top - shredded cucumber, onion, mint leaves, torch ginger and Serrano chilies
Add a dollop of prawn paste [optional] - and serve hot immediately