Fry the 5 cloves of garlic for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
In a mortar and pestle, pound galangal.
Peel the skin of fresh turmeric using a teaspoon and slice into smaller pieces. Add to the mortar and pestle to grind.
Add the roasted garlic to pound until thoroughly combined.
Add the sliced yellow onion (or 3 sliced shallots if you have some on hand) to pound. Then add the spices and shrimp paste. Pound until you get a smooth paste.