SHRIMP IN SPICY NUT SAUCE (PEPES UDANG)

2 garlic cloves sliced
1/4 cup sliced onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried red chili soaked in
2 tsp water
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp tamarind dissolved in
1 tsp water
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp shrimp (sauce) paste
6 kemiri nuts crushed
1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
1 salam leaf
1 piece galangal (laos)
Banana leaves

Crush the garlic, onion, salt, chili, coriander, tamarind liquid, sugar, shrimp paste and kemiri in a blender or mortar.

Mix the spice paste with the whole shrimp, salam and laos. Make a loaf-shaped mound of the mixture on a piece of banana leaf, and wrap it securely, making sure the ends are sealed.

Bake the loaf in a 425 degree oven for twenty minutes, or place the package under the broiler for the same length oftime. Turn it over after ten minutes to cook the shrimp evenly. At the end of this step, open the center of the leaf loaf 2 inches, and place it under the broiler for five minutes to form a brown crust.

This recipe yields 6 servings, with other dishes.