In a pan, char roast the dried chilies to a 50-60% char. Set aside.
Pound the chilies to a fine powder.
Prepare the roasted ingredients
Bruise the lemongrass, char roast it whole, peel the thick outer layers, and slice the inner softer part. Set aside.
Slice the ginger into thick juliennes and char roast in a pan to a 20% char. The ginger is sometimes sun-dried before roasting.
Slice mature galangal into thick juliennes and char roast in a pan to 20% char. The galangal is sometimes sun-dried before roasting.
In a pan, char roast the garlic unpeeled until cooked.
In a pan, char roast the shallots unpeeled until cooked. Note: since the shallots contain reducing sugars that intensify the umami flavor base, you can introduce them roasted as described, or deep-fried, boiled, fresh, and even pickled.
In a mortar and pestle, combine the roasted lemongrass, ginger, galangal, garlic, and shallots and pound to a smooth paste.
Combining the paste
Add a Northern-style white fermented shrimp paste to the roasted ingredients paste.
Add the laap spices mix.
Add makwen.
Add dried chilies.
Pound all the ingredients into a fine paste.
Roasting and drying the paste
Transfer the paste to a pan. Roast the paste over low heat, constantly stirring until it has completely dried up. Good heat control is essential in order to not burn the naam phrik laap. From time to time, remove from the heat and continue roasting using the residual heat alone.