Geng Liang Pla
(Geng means curry, pla is fish, and Liang is the old and simpliest form of curry paste)

Fish and Pumpkin Coconut Cream Soup

If you buy a whole fish you can make your own fish stock from the head, tail and bones, or buy fillets and use seafood fish stock base.
If making your own stock, which tastes the best, add coconut milk, shallots, lemongrass, and krachai to flavour the stock. Simmer for only 20-30 minutes, then strain. Remove any meat hanging on the bones to add to your curry paste.
2 snapper or catfish fillets, roughly (4-5 oz each) cut into 2” pieces
If using a whole fish use a 1 ½# before filleting size
2 cups stock
1 cup coconut milk
pinch of salt

4 oz)of pumpkin (Kapocha), peeled, cut into 1 in cubes
Or
(gourd can be used instead)
1 tablespoon julienned krachai (also called finger root)
1 cup unsweetened coconut cream (hard part of the can of coconut)
pinch of ground white pepper
handful of lemon basil (maengluk)leaves
paste
3 Tbs chopped krachai'(wild ginger)
pinch of salt
2 Tbs minced shallot
15 white peppercorns
2 Tbs fish from bones from the stock - if using a whole fish (see above)
Or 1 Tbs shrimp paste (kapi), roasted in tinfoil in toaster oven or in skillet until aromatic

Make a paste: place ingredients in a mortar and pound until smooth with the pestle. Be sure and add the fish meat taken from the bones if making your own stock..
Bring stock including coconut milk to a boil and season. Add a little salt. Add the paste, gentle stirring in to the stock until combined. After a couple of minutes add the chunks of kapocha, cook 2 minutes, add the fish, krachai and coconut cream. Simmer for just a minute or two until the fish is cooked, then finish add the white pepper and maengluk (Lemon Basil).
This fragrant soup is salty, peppery.
You can serve with steamed Jasmine rice if desired..