Red Thai Prawn Curry

Ingredients

2 stalks lemongrass
1 tbsp? fresh red curry paste
2 or 3 cloves garlic
2 red peppers in oil
1 heaped tsp tomato purée
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 cm ginger root, peeled
200 g small cooked prawns
200 g sugar snap peas
400 g coconut milk
olive oil for cooking
optional
ingredients		 8 large, unpeeled prawns
lime wedges

Method

  1. In a food processer, mix the red curry paste, adding the bashed up stalks of lemongrass, chilli, garlic, red peppers, tomato puree, fish oil, soy sauce, ginger root and sesame oil.  Blitz to a paste.
  2. If used, fry the large raw prawns in a frying pan with olive oil for 1 minute, then add 1tbsp of the paste and cook for another minute. Tip the lot into a casserole and put in a 200°C oven.
  3. Add some more oil to the pan and gently fry the sugar peas and small prawns.  Add the rest of the paste and fry for a minute or two before adding the coconut milk.

Serve with rice.  Add the large prawns on the top, for decoration, along with the lime wedges.

Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

Ingredients

1 medium onions
1 tsp finely chopped or minced ginger
2 tsp red Thai curry paste (very salty so don't overdo it)
4 medium sweet potatoes
2 pints chicken stock (preferably from bones or make up with chicken OXO cubes or similar)
1 tin coconut milk

Method

  1. Preheat the oven onto 180°C.
  2. Put the sweet potatoes directly onto the oven shelf for 20 to 30 minutes.
    (until mostly soft - which depends on size and shape of the roots).
  3. When cooked, take the potatoes out of the oven and cover with a damp tea towel for 10 minutes.
    (This loosens the skins as they cool to make them easier to remove.)
  4. In a large pan, fry the onions and minced garlic in some sunflower oil until soft and transparent.
  5. Add a small teaspoon of Thai curry paste and stir gently for a couple of minutes.
  6. Remove the sweet potatoes from their skins. Dice and add to the pan of onions and spices.
  7. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Then, turn down to a simmer and cook until the sweet potato is soft.
  8. Put everything through a blender, or food processor and process until smooth.
  9. Pour back into the pan. Add the can of coconut milk and heat through.  Ready to serve.