Tom Yam Pla (Coconut Fish Soup)

It should be sweet, sour, salty and spicy hot--- all at once. You will need to visit an oriental store for the ingredients.
Serves 6.

1/4 cup lemon grass
4 slices dried laos root (don't use powder)
3 cups fish or vegetable stock or water
2 14-oz. cans coconut milk
1/4 - 1 teaspoon sambal olek (Thai chili paste)
3 scallions, minced
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3/4 lb. white fish fillets, cut into bite size pieces
Juice of two limes
3 tablespoon nam pla (fish sauce)

In a small saucepan, simmer the lemon grass and Laos roots in 1 cup of the stock or water for 1/2 hour. Add more liquid as necessary to retain one cup.

Meanwhile in a large saucepan, simmer the coconut milk and the remaining 2 cups of stock, uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the sambal olek, scallions, cilantro, and fish. Strain the lemon grass and laos root mixture and add the liquid to the pot. Simmer, uncovered, until the fish is just cooked. Remove from heat. Stir in the lime juice and the fish sauce. Taste and adjust the flavor for tartness and saltiness by adding more lime juice and/or fish sauce.