Rice Noodles with Fish Curry Sauce (Kanom Jeen Namya)

Ingredients

For Poaching The Fish
100 g white fish filet (any kind with a mild flavour)
1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, smashed and cut into chunks
5 rounds galangal
For The Curry Sauce
12-15 dried chilies or to taste, soaked in hot water until softened
1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, sliced
5 rounds galangal
3 tbsp (45 ml) chopped grachai (use galangal as substitution)
5 cloves garlic
1/3 cup (75 ml) chopped shallots
1-inch (2.5 cm) turmeric root, sliced, or 1 tsp (5 mL) turmeric powder
1 tsp (5 ml) fermented shrimp paste
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk
1-2 tbsp (15-30 ml) palm sugar, finely chopped, packed
2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml) Thai Kitchen Premium Fish Sauce
1-2 tbsp (15-30 ml) tamarind concentrate (see note)
200 g dry, round rice vermicelli (small size), cooked until tender, at room temperature
Toppings (medium boiled eggs, fresh crunchy vegetables, pickled mustard greens or another sour pickled vegetables and/or fresh Thai basil)

Nutrition information (per Serving)

Poach the fish in about 1-inch (2.5 cm) of water in a medium pot along with the lemongrass and galangal. Simmer until fully cooked (you may need to flip the fish halfway through if the water doesn’t cover the fish).
Remove the fish from the liquid, place into a mortar (or a mixing bowl with a fork) and pound until fluffy and fine. Reserve the poaching liquid and discard the flavouring ingredients.
Make the curry sauce by adding the soaked dried chilies, lemongrass, galangal, grachai, garlic, shallots, turmeric and shrimp paste to a blender; then add just enough of the coconut milk to blend. Mix until smooth and pour into reserved poaching liquid.
Add the remaining coconut milk to the pot, along with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the palm sugar and 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the fish sauce. Simmer the sauce on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more coconut milk or water if it’s too thick.
Add tamarind, then taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce and/or sugar as needed, making sure it is strongly seasoned as this will be topped over the noodles.
Divide the cooked noodles among the serving bowls. Pour the hot curry sauce over the noodles, served with your sides of choice.