1large stalk of leekscut into rings and wash thoroughly by soaking in water
2ozof Chinese parsley - both stalks and leaveschopped
4stalks of lemon grasstrim off the woody ends and bruise to release flavor
1large onionpeeled and dice
Ground ingredients (place all ingredients in a food processor and process into a paste):
2large onionspeeled and cut into large chunks
4clovesgarlicpeeled
4shallotspeeled
3candlenut / kemiri
1Tbspof coriander seeds
1tspof fennel seeds
Spices:
1pieceof star anise
1large cinnamon
5piecesof cloves
10piecesof cardamom
3Tbspof cumin powder
1tspof turmeric powder
Seasonings:
Salt to taste
1Tbspof sugar
Garnishes:
Chinese parsley leavesfinely chopped
2-3stalks of spring onionfinely chopped
Fried shallots crisp / bawang goreng
Instructions
Preparing stocks (recommended to prepare the stock the day before):
Place the leg of lamb/mutton in a large pot. Fill the pot up with clean water until it covers the leg of lamb/mutton and bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes. Discard the water and rinse the leg of lamb/mutton. Clean the pot
Place the leg of lamb/mutton back into the clean pot. Fill up with clean water until it covers the leg of lamb/mutton again along with the rest of ingredients for stock. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat and let it simmer for the next 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender (falling off the bones). Once the meat is tender, remove it from the pot and when cool enough to handle, cut into large chunks. Strain the stock and discard all the veggies and herbs (I actually save the carrots because I like them in the soup when they are soft). Save the stock and scoop up as many fat that floats on top of the stock as you can. What I did was to put chill the stock in the refrigerator and the fat will turn into white layer and it's easier to scoop it up.
In a large skillet, add in about 2 Tbsp of oil and saute the ground ingredients and spices until really fragrant, about 5 minutes or so. Add in the stock you've prepared above and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. Have a taste and season with salt to your taste and with some sugar and adjust to your liking
When ready to serve:
Bring the stock to a rolling boil and place the cooked lamb/mutton meats back into the soup to let it warm up and then dish the meat out and place on serving bowl and ladle generous amount of soup into the bowl and garnish with parsley, spring onion and fried shallots crisp