Seafood Laksa

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons palm sugar (or substitute brown sugar)
• 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
• 3 cups fish stock or 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 -3 teaspoons asian fish sauce
• 10 ounces firm white fish fillets, bones and skin removed
• 20 medium uncooked shrimp
• 2 small squid, hoods (optional)
• 6 ounces fresh crabmeat, cooked
• 12 ounces hokkien noodles or 12 ounces fresh rice noodles
• 1 -2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 bunch bok choy, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• 20 mint leaves
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro stem
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• fried shallot (available in packets from Asian food stores)
• fresh red chile, sliced extra (optional)
• Laksa Paste
• 2 teaspoons dried shrimp paste (belacan)
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 4 spring onions, chopped
• 3 -5 small fresh red chilies, coarsely chopped (and seeded, if desired, for less heat)
• 4 coriander roots, scraped and chopped
• 2 stalks lemongrass, white part only,coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• 4 macadamia nuts or 4 candlenuts
• 6 sprigs vietnamese mint or 6 sprigs of fresh mint (optional)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon mild paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt