Sour pumpkin soup with mushrooms (gaeng mak eu leh het feuang sai som)

Ingredients 
•  ½ chicken, chopped into soup pieces 
•  1 l (5 C/  2 pt)  for water 
•  2 C for pumpkin, cut into bite-size chunks (substitute any firm squash)
•  1 C for straw mushrooms (or torn oyster mushrooms)
•  4 chillies 
•  3 cloves of garlic 
•  1 t for salt 
•  2 stalks for lemongrass, cut into 10 cm (4 in) lengths and roughly bruised to release flavour 
•  2 – 3 slices of galangal 
•  5 small kaffir lime leaves 
•  3 limes, juiced
•  2 – 3 T fish sauce (or to taste)
•  To finish 
•  3 small spring onions, washed and trimmed of old leaves 
•  3 small coriander plants, washed and trimmed of old leaves
Serves two to four as part of a Lao meal.

Method
1.  In a medium pot, bring the water to the boil. Add the chicken pieces and return to the boil. Skim scum. Lower the heat and simmer the chicken for 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin, lemongrass, galangal and the kaffir lime leaves. Continue to simmer gently.
2.  In a mortar, pound together the chillies and the garlic. Stir into the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3.  Add the mushrooms. Continue to simmer until the chicken is tender and the pumpkin is cooked. Add the lime juice and fish sauce. Taste and adjust flavourings, adding possibly more salt or lime juice. The predominant taste should be sour with a contrast of sweetness from the pumpkin and nuttiness from the mushrooms.
4.  Remove the pot from the heat. Chop the spring onions and coriander together and stir them into the soup. Transfer the soup to a bowl and serve.

Information by Food from Northern Laos (The Boat Landing Cookbook)

Video by totikky