Shrimp Pho

Alright guys, what's with me and cooking lately? Honestly, been quite a thing. Mostly, quick and easy fix meals and like I have told you before, generally, our Malaysian and Indian dishes. For a change, I decided. I decided I should do a bowl food or noodle dish, but the question was which one. Of course, if not millions, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of recipes for a noodle dish. Still, back to the same question. Which noodle dish (Bee Hoon Soup). After like, maybe within the next 20 minutes, as usual, me taking a hard peep into my fridge, I sort of was confident I can put up a Vietnamese noodle dish (Lamb Pho). Obviously, not something new to me. Thus, I knew. I can come up with another version and how far further can we run when a Vietnamese noodle dish is a concern (Vietnamese Fish Soup)? If not all, some of the ingredients can be Malaysian found and grown (Penang Hokkien Mee), especially herbs and fish sauce is a regularity for us as well. Henceforth, coming into our food picture on this particular day was Shrimp Pho (Prawn Noodle Soup). Shrimps obviously are the central ingredient (Prawn Cocktail, Chinese Prawn Fritters, Grilled Spicy Prawns & Bitter Gourd Prawn Curry), in fact more important for the broth and then we need the rest of the ingredients as listed below. But if you are expecting a traditional Shrimp Pho, I think you will be disappointed. Mine is a modernised tweeted version and instead of incorporating chillies inside, I made a chilli dip. Of course, for diving into Shrimp Pho (Fried Shrimp Wanton, Sambal Udang & Devilled Prawns) alongside?

Ingredients

For the stock

2 cups shrimp heads and shells
1 lemongrass - smashed
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 slice fresh ginger 
 5 garlic
Some coriander leaves

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp anchovies granules (optional)

1 liter of water (or for the amount of stock needed)
Salt for taste

Accompaniments (as needed)

Fresh shrimps - de-vein and rinse

Mee hoon - soaked to soften

Bak choy or any other green leafy veggie – rinsed and cut into pieces.

Chinese black fungus - soaked to soften and sliced into long pieces

Spring onion - shredded

Calamansi lime

Chili Dip

1-2 tbsp dried chili paste

2 shallots - chopped

2 garlic - chopped

1/2 tsp shrimp paste/belacan powder

Salt for taste

2 tbsp of oil

Method
For the broth

Into heated oil, fry shrimp heads and shells till crispy.
Add all the ingredients as listed for the broth.
Stir. 

Pour water and simmer over low heat for about an hour. 

Drain stock and pour back in the pot. 

Add granules and salt.

Stir and keep simmering over very low heat. 

For the dipping sauce
Fry all the ingredients in oil till till aromatic and oil splits. 

Remove and keep aside.

To serve

Blanch fresh shrimps, bak choy and fungus in the stock.

Add mee hoon into a bowl and top with blanched ingredients.

Pour stock over,, garnished with spring onion and pair with chilli dip and calamansi lime.