Thai Red Curry with Beef (Phat Phet Neua)

In Thai cooking, their curries come in two different types of bases, coconut based and water based. You would be surprised to find that the spiciest of the two is actually water based curries. The most typical water-based curry is sour curry (gaeng sohm plah) often prepared with fish. Thai coconut-based curries are numerous and the more well known curries are red, green, yellow, panang and masamam curries.

I personally think most people would be more familiar with a Thai green curry dish as compared with a Red curry one. The flavours are quite different. If you are making the paste at home, you can reduce the number of chillies used to get a milder heat. If you like it hot, you can add a couple of bird's eye chillies as well. A variety of meats could be used to cook this curry such as pork, beef, chicken and even roasted duck, cut into bite size pieces.



Thai Red Curry with Beef (Phat Phet Neua)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

300g good quality lean beef, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp cooking oil
4 Tbs packaged red curry paste or homemade(recipe below)
200ml (just under 1 cup) thick coconut milk or cream
1/2 cup of water or stock
8 cherry tomatoes, leave whole
5 peeled shallots, sliced thickly (use can use small onions)
2 lemongrass sticks, use the while part only, thickly sliced
6 kaffir lime leaves, stems removed, thinly sliced
1 fresh red chilli, thinly sliced
Small handful of coriander or chinese celery leaves, roughly chopped

Method:

1) Put the oil into a wok and when it is hot add the red curry paste and fry for 1-2 minutes. Then add half the thick coconut milk and fry for half a minute

2) Add in the shallots, lemongrass, lime leave and red chilli. Stir the fresh spices and then add in the beef.

3) Add in the water or stock and bring to a boil. Cook the curry for about 10 minutes on medium simmer.

4) Add the remaining coconut cream and the tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Season to taste with fish sauce and palm sugar. Cook for a further 4 - 5 minutes. Just before turning off the fire, throw in the coriander leaves and stir it into the curry.

5) Serve hot with steaming white rice.

Red Curry Paste (Nam Prik Gaeng Phet)

1 tsp shrimp paste
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
15 dried chillies, deseeded and soaked in warm water
1 stalk lemongrass, white part, finely sliced
2 tsp chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp grated galangal
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 kaffir lime leaves, sliced
1 tsp kaffir lime zest, finely choppped
1 tsp salt

Method:

Pan fry the shrimp paste until fragrant. Toast the coriander and cumin seeds. Add all the ingredients in the food processor and grind until it becomes a fine paste. Store in the refrigerator. Will keep for about a week.

Yam Som-O (Spicy Pomelo Salad)

I was pleasantly surprised when I was checking my personal emails one evening to receive an invitation from Jasmine to attend a Food Bloggers tea-party. I did not know who Jasmine was but did know a couple of bloggers on the invitation list, namely Edith and Zhuoyuan . The tea-party would be hosted at Edith's house. This would not be the first time Edith would be hosting a food bloggers gathering. A year and half ago, she had hosted our first gathering and it was a tremendous success. Again Edith has so kindly opened her beautiful home to all of us.





As usual whenever food bloggers get together there would be a huge assortment of treats. This time round was no exception and the menu consisted mainly of desserts with a couple of savoury items thrown in. Almost everyone brought two types of desserts and we ended up with a huge feast. We had cupcakes, brownies, lemon bars, durian swiss roll, durian chiffon cake, cheesecakes, meat balls, macarons and more. Check out the below blogs of my "old" and new blogger friends, each and every one so very talented as well.

Edith of Precious Moments
Wendy of Wen's Delight
Cathy of Cathy's Joy
Jean of Noms I Must
Jess of J3ss Kitch3n
Jasmine of The Sweetylicious
Zhuoyuan of Baking Library

I decided to bring something savoury instead. And as I didn't have much time over the week, I made a Thai pomelo salad instead.



Yam Som-O (Spicy Pomelo Salad)
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 medium sized pomelo or 2 grapefruits
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
150g cooked prawns, sliced half lengthwise
200gm cooked chicken breast, shredded
2 Tbsp dessicated coconut
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 Tbsp dried shrimp, toasted and finely chopped
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Handful of mint leaves

Method:

1) Peel pomelo and shread the flesh. Leave as chunky pieces.

2) Place lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a bowl and stir to mix until sugar has dissolved.

3) Then add in the prawns, chicken, dessicated coconut and coconut cream. Toss to coat the pomelo. Add in the mint leaves and transfer to serving platter. Sprinkle the top with dried shrimp and toasted sesame seeds and a few mint leaves.

4) Serve immediately as this salad does not keep over night.

Tom Kha Goong (Thai Coconut Prawn Soup)

Thai cuisine has such an interesting array of dishes as well as flavours. Their dishes incorporates the four vital flavours which is spicy, salty, sweet and sour. The basic ingredients used to achieve the four flavours are:

Spicy - chillies, peppers, fresh and dried spices, shallots, garlic
Salty - fish sauce, soy sauce, dried shrimps, shrimp paste, salt
Sweet - coconut milk, palm sugar, fruit
Sour - lime juice, tamarind, vinegar, vegetables

The ideal Thai meal is a harmonious blend of all the four flavours above. The dishes are meant to be equally satisfying to eye, nose and palate. A typical meal might include a clear soup, a steamed dish, a fried dish, a hot salad and a variety of sauces into which food is dipped. The meal is then rounded off with sweet desserts or fresh fruits.

This particular tom yam dish which I have posted is probably the lesser known of the two. It is much lighter and less spicy and uses coconut milk. You would find this recipe using chicken instead of prawns. Preparation wise this dish is easy and takes no time at all to put together. End result is a really delicious soup.



Tom Kha Goong(Thai Coconut Prawn Soup)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

500ml chicken stock (fresh or canned, unsalted)
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half
1 lemon grass, crushed (white part only)
1 lemon grass, sliced diagonally 1" (white part only)
12 thin slices of galangal
200g fresh prawns, shelled leaving tail intact, deveined and slit along the top mid-way
100g red snapper fillet, sliced to 1" thick
500ml coconut milk (fresh or canned)
60g canned mushrooms
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
4 Tbsp fish sauce (to taste)
8 pieces of bird's eye chilli (chilli padi), 2 lightly crushed, the remaining leave whole

Method:

1) Heat the chicken stock in a pot. Add in the lemon grass, lime leaves and galangal and simmer for about 10 minutes,

2) Then add in the coconut milk, chillie and seafood and bring to a boil.

3) Add the mushrooms, lime juice and fish sauce to the pot. Cook the soup on medium heat, uncovered for another 5 minutes.

4) Remove from stove and dish out into individual bowls. Serve immediately.

Thai Fried Rice with Clams and Holy Basil

When it comes to left-over white rice, it is astonishing what type of ingredients you could add to it to turn this into a simple fried rice dish. I would usually cook a Chinese fried rice version using Chinese sausages, frozen mixed vegetables and eggs. However this time round I wanted to do something different and be a bit more adventurous.

I decided on a Thai version using fresh basil as one of the key ingredients. So when I happened to be at my local supermarket buying groceries, I came across fresh white clams. I thought to myself “heh, how about some clams to go with the Thai fried rice! I could add some long beans as well.” I must confess that I had concocting this recipe as I was walking through the aisle in the supermarket. So with this in mind, I started to throw packs of ingredients into my shopping basket. If you are not into clams, you can use prawns or even chicken meat as substitute. And again if long beans are not your “thing” substitute with frozen mixed vegetables, peas, carrots, corn … or just do your own thing! The dish will still come out delicious.





Thai Fried Rice with Clams and Holy Basil
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, roughly minced
1 ½ Tbsp of Thai chillie paste (found in local Asian groceries. Vary the chilli paste according to your taste)
2 cups heaped cold cooked rice
200g - 250g white clams, shell intact and thoroughly cleaned
1 ½ Tbsp fish sauce, or more to taste
¾ cup of long beans, chopped to ¼” thick
1/2 cup loosely packed Thai holy basil (regular basil ok)
2 medium sized eggs, lightly beaten
Dash of white pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro and extra sprigs for decoration

Method:

1) In a wok or large skillet over medium fire, heat up the oil. Add the garlic and fry until lightly browned

2) Then add in the chilli paste and stir fry for about a minute. Add in the clams and basil leaves, and fry for about 2 minutes. Add the long beans and fry until slightly soften (not too soft). Add the cold rice and fry for about 3 to 4 minutes.

3) Add fish sauce and pepper. Then drizzle the beaten egg onto the rice and stir to mix well. Fry for another 1 to 2 minutes.

4) Finally add in the chopped fresh cilantro. Dish out warm and serve with lime wedges, Thai chillie sauce and cilantro for decoration.

Pad Thai Goong

When it comes to cooking Thai food at home, I guess my repetoire is kind of limited. So far it's been tomyam and green or red curries. So it must have been coincidence when we had Thai food for dinner a couple of weeks back that I decided I would try my hand at making pad thai. I've seen on cooking programs how easy it is to make this dish and the important ingredient is the tamarind sauce. A few helpful hints I had discovered is never to cook large batches of this noodle. Also do not cook the noodles for too long otherwise it becomes soggy. And make sure that your heat is on medium high. If it's your first time making pad thai, a good source for reference would be Chez Pim's "Pad Thai for Beginners .



Phad Thai Goong
Recipe Adapted from "Lemongrass and Sweet Basil" by Khamtane Signavong
Serves 4

Ingredients:

200g medium rice stick noodles
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 tsp dried shrimps
12 medium-sized prawns
3 eggs, lightly beaten
4 Tbsp cubed firm tofu (beancurd)
4 Tbsp pickled radish
80g beansprout, extra 20g for garnishing
12 chinese chives, chopped into 3" lengths
2 Tbsp ground roasted peanuts (extra for garnish)
1 large lime, quartered, for garnishing

For the Tamarind Sauce:

4 Tbsp palm sugar
4 Tbsp fish sauce
4 Tbsp tamarind juice
2 tsp chilli powder, or to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Microwave for about 1 to 2 min to dissolve the palm sugar.

Method:

1) Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 15 mins, then remove and drain.

2) Half all the ingredients to cook the noodles in 2 batches.

3) Heat the oil in a work, add the dried shrimps and cook until golden brown. Add the king prawns and stir until cooked, about 1 1/2 mins.

3) Then add the tofu, pickled radish and tamarind sauce. Push the noodles to one side and pour in the egg. Once the egg is half cooked, break it up and add it to the noodles. Add in the beansprout and stir well until the noodles are almost cooked.

4) Add in the chives and stir quickly. Dish out the noodles on a plate. Garnish with raw beansprout, ground toasted peanuts, a tsp of chilli powder, a tsp of sugar and a quarter lime.

Risotto for a Daring Cooks Challenge

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of "MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker . They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

We were required to make the stock for the risotto dish from scratch and I decided to make do with a simple chicken stock. Risotto is not something I have ever cooked before in my life and to be honest I have not eaten risotto before. The only one time I have ever cooked anything that somewhat resembles risotto would have been a seafood paela. It was delicious but not something I would make over and over again. To get into the mood for this challenge, I searched out recipes for risotto. I was amazed that you could make so many variations of this rice dish and it sort of confused me somewhat. I ended up toying with one idea, and then abandoning it for another. Oh dear, and time was ticking away. In fact I only decided on the final recipe mid week and made this dish only last night. This is really winging it as I don't like to rush things at the last minute. There is really no room for errors in this case and if this recipe really bombed out, that's it. However I am so glad that it worked out well. This recipe blends in flavours that we love which is Thai. I decided to make the risotto really dry and it ended up like a Chinese claypot version. I used some of the same ingredients to stir fry the prawns which was laid out as a side dish accompanying the risotto. My hubby really, and I mean really enjoyed this. Next time I will try it with green curry instead.



Thai Red Curry Prawn Risotto
Recipe Adapted from "Quick & Easy Workday Dinners"
Serves 3 - 4

Ingredients:

400ml fresh chicken stock (recipe below)
2 pieces lemon grass (use the white part only), bruised
6 fresh kaffir lime leaves, shredded
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium sized red onion, finely chopped
4 Tbsp good quality Thai red curry paste
1 1/2 cups arborio or short-grained rice, washed and drain of water
200ml coconut cream + 4 Tbsp coconut cream extra
350g raw prawns, peeled and deveined with tails intact
250g raw prawns, peeled, deveined and chopped
3 bird's eye chilli
Fish sauce to taste

Method:

1) Pour the chicken stock into a saucepan, add the lemon grass and half the kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.

2) Heat the oil in a deep pot (preferably non-stick) and add in the onion. Cook on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Stir in 2 1/2 Tbsp of the red curry paste and fry until fragrant (about 1 minute).

3) Then stir in the rice until it is well coated. Strain about 300ml of the stock into the rice and then add in 200ml of coconut cream. Add in the remaining lime leaf and simmer until the rice is cooked. If the rice looks a bit dry and is still uncooked, slowly add in the remaining chicken stock. The rice will continue absorbing the stock whilst it is being cooked.

4) Once the rice is cooked (test for doneness), add in the chopped shrimp and cover the pot for about a minute until the shrimp is cooked. Season with fish stock to taste.

5) For the remaining shrimp, mix 1 1/2 Tbsp of red curry and mix it with 4 Tbsp of coconut cream. Pour mixture into a frying pan and slowly fry it until fragrant. Add the whole shrimps, chilli and 2 shredded lime leaf. Stir fry until the shrimp is cooked. Season with fish sauce to taste.

6) Serve the risotto whilst hot and add the red curry shrimps on the side. Garnish with finely sliced lime leaves.

To Make the Chicken Stock (can be made a day or 2 beforehand)

Ingredients:

3 kg of meaty chicken bones (backs, necks, breast bones), skin removed.
8 cups of cold water (or enough to cover chicken pieces)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 bay leaves
1" ginger, sliced
3 springs of coriander
1 tsp whole white peppercorns

Method:

1) In a large stockpot, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 3 hours (essentially, the longer you simmer it, the more intense the flavor), adding water as needed to keep ingredients submerged.

2) Strain stock into a clean pot or heatproof plastic container and discard solid ingredients. Let cool and refrigerate overnight.

3) In morning, skim solidified fat from the top and re-refrigerate until ready to use. Left over stock can be frozen.

Pineapple Fried Rice with Prawns (Khow Pad Supparod Goong)

Have you ever thought that the simplest meal is sometimes the best meal you've ever had. I've had moments like this. It's often the something that you would throw together in a pot would bring the cosiest warm feelings. Would you believe that fried rice falls into this category for me? Well it does!

When we were young kids (god knows that was donkey years ago), my mum would cook fried rice and her main ingredients were diced onions, diced char siew (chinese roast pork), frozen vegetables and eggs. These were one of the moments we enjoyed the most and I still remember the big pot of fried rice placed in the middle of the dining table. All of us would swoop down onto the pot with a spoons and heaped up huge helpings onto our dinner plate. I loved eating char siew fried rice with Maggie (that's the brand of the sauce) chillie sauce.

Would you believe when I first worked in Hong Kong many years ago, I could never find this particular brand of chillie sauce any where in town. So every time I go back to Singapore (which was about 4 times a year), I would take the opportunity to pack a few bottles back with me. Hah ... I should have recorded the customs officer's face when he opened my luggage at HK airport.



Pineapple Fried Rice with Prawns (Khow Pad Supparod Goong)
Serves 2
Print Recipe

Ingredients:

50g boiled shrimp
1/3 cup frozen mixed vegetable
1/4 cup cubed pieces of fresh pineapple
2 cups cold plain rice (break up any clumps)
3 Tbsp oil

For the Paste:

100g blended pineapple pulp
1 Tbsp tumeric powder
2 Tbsp seafood curry powder
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp Thai fish sauce
1/2 tsp sugar (or more to taste)
Water to moisten rice
Salt and white pepper to taste

Method:

1) Heat oil in a wok or a pan and stir fry the paste until fragrant and mixture thickens.

2) Add in the rice and frozen vegetables and fry until well mixed. Adjust seasoning and then stir in the boiled shrimp and pineapple pieces.

3) Serve rice warm. Garnish with roasted cashew nuts, fresh coriander and red chillies.

Thai Mango Salad

This recipe boils down to our love for Thai food, plus the fact that we love visiting Thailand as well. We used to make it a point to visit Thailand every year if we can and so far this year we have done a trip to Bangkok in March. In November we are planning a trip to the Northern parts of Thailand, to be precise it's to Chiang Mai for the Loy Krathong festival.

Thai food is said to be a taste of 5 flavours - spicy, sweet, sour, salty and bitter. A popular salad that can be found in all Thai restaurants would be a Mango Salad or Yam Ma Maung. This dish is made from unripe green mangoes. Another popular salad which uses the same ingredients would be a Papaya Salad or better known as Som Tam. Both are great appertisers and served at the beginning of any great Thai meal.





Thai Mango Salad
Serves 4
Recipe Adapted from Lemon Grass and Sweet Basil by Khamtane Signavong

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves
4 bird's eye chillies
30g roasted peanuts, lightly crushed
30g dried shrimps
8 cherry tomatoes
3 Tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
4 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
250g green mango, grated into long thin strips
4 lettuce leaf for garnishing

Method:

1) Using a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic, chillies, peanuts and dried shrimps to a fine paste. (If you don't have a pestle and mortar, you can use a food processor and blist it for a few seconds - make sure it is not too fine)

2) Mix the paste with the cherry tomatoes, fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice. Mix well then add the mango strips. Incorporate all ingredients and do a final taste. Adjust seasoning accordingly.

3) Line a serving dish with lettuce and pile the mango salad on top of it. Serve immediately.

My Bangkok Trip - Part 2

This continues to my earlier post on our recent short holiday to Bangkok, Thailand. On our third (and 2nd last day) day of our holiday, we took a boat cruise along the Chao Phraya river. From the boat, we saw a number of old monuments, buildings and temples. One temple that really stood out was, Wat Arun.

Wat Arun, known as The Temple of Dawn, is located on Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, right opposite the Grand Palace compound. It is easily accessed by boat from the Bangkok side. The temple dates back to the Ayutthaya period. A 79-metres-tall massive central pagoda commonly called “Phra Prang” is surrounded by four small ones at each corner. The central pagoda was decorated with pieces of multi-coloured glass and porcelain which sparkle in the sun. Wat Arun is among the most famous of the more than 400 Buddhist temples and monasteries in the city.

We also caught sight of the Royal Thai Navy Headquarters,Royal Barge Museum, temples and waterfront houses along the river and its canals.




Later in the morning we took time to visit Royal Thai Handicraft Centre to view craftsmen working on wood carvings. It's amazing to see them chipping away at a block of wood which will eventually become a piece of delicate and intricate carving.



Some other sights around Bangkok city as we spent the rest of the day exploring and shopping.






I also want to share with you another popular Thai dish which I am sure you will enjoy. This quick and easy chicken dish is an excellent introduction to Thai cuisine. Deep frying the basil adds another dimension to this dish. Thai basil, which is sometimes known as Holy basil, has a unique, pungent flavour that is both spicy and sharp. The dull leaves have serrated edges. To deep fry Thai basil leaves, make sure that the leaves are completely dry. Deep fry in hot oil for about 30-40 seconds, lift out and drain on kitchen paper.


Stir-fried Chicken with Holy Basil and Chillies (Gai Pad Krapao)
(serves 4)

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 - 4 red chillies, seeded and chopped
450g (1 lb) chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
2 - 3 Tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
10 - 12 Thai basil leaves
2 red chillies, finely sliced, to garnish
20 Thai basil leaves, deep fried (optional)

Method:

1) Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and swirl it around.

2) Add the garlic and chillies and stir-fry until golden.

3) Add the chicken and stir-fry until it changes colour.

4) Season with fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar. Continue to stir-fry for 3 - 4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Stir in the fresh Thai basil leaves. Garnish with sliced chillies and the deep fried basil, if using.

My Bangkok Trip - Part 1

We left for our Bangkok trip on a Saturday morning, 2 weekends ago, on Thai Airways. There are now quite a number of discounted airfares that's being advertised in our local newspapers. It's probably because the airlines and travel agents are enticing more people to travel due to the economic slowdown. It's kind of ironic when you hear "economic slowdown" but here we are travelling overseas. The last time we were in Bangkok was about 8 years ago and the city itself has changed a lot since then. Bangkok now have a sky-train and an underground mass transit rail. This helps somewhat with the traffic as Bangkok has many cars on their roads.

Upon arrival in Bangkok in the late morning, we immediately checked into the hotel, dumped our luggage in the room and then headed off to visit a local travel agent. This is to book our trip the next morning to the floating market. The most famous floating market, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, operates on Saturday and Sunday, and is located about 80km outskirts of Bangkok city in Ratchaburi province. The Damnoen Saduak canal was ordered to be built in 1866 by King Rama IV of the Chakri Dynasty to facilitate waterborne travels between Ratchaburi and Samutsakhon Provinces. It was finished and opened to the public in 1868. Nowadays, apart from providing transportation, Damnoen Saduak canal also provides local farmers with adequate water for agricultural purposes. A number of canals were dug to connect with it by local peasants to get water to splatter their land. As the excellent quality soil along the canal is very fertile, the area has a high potential for producing various kinds of fruits and vegetables.

The hustle and bustle of the Sunday market greeted us when we arrived. There were small paddle boats and motorized boats going up and down the canals. It was totally chaotic; crowded with tourist, locals and local peddlers selling fruits, cooked food, souvenirs and all sorts of other goods. I mentioned to my husband that not only were the streets in Bangkok city packed with traffic, it was also the same at the floating market. Even with the crowd and noise, we were totally absorbing in our surroundings and were thoroughly enjoying ourselves. We even tasted some of the cooked food that was being sold from the wooden paddle boats.

On top of sharing some of the photos which we took at the floating market, I also want to share a very popular Thai dish with you. Just by looking at the photos, you will immediately know what dish I'm referring to .... it's none other than Tom Yum Goong. I made this dish one week after we returned, maybe to bring back some fond memories of our recent Bangkok trip.


Tom Yum Goong (King Prawn Soup with Chilli and Lime)
Recipe adapted from Lemongrass & Sweet Basil by Khamtane Signavong)
(serves 4)
Ingredients:

1 litre fish stock (you can either use home-made stock or canned stock. I used cube bullion stock)
1 lemongrass stalk, sliced into rings
4 slices of galangal
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
1 1/2 Tbsp roasted chilli paste** (you can use bottled Thai chilli paste which can be purchased from an Asian grocery shop)
4 hot chillies, or to taste
8 straw or button mushrooms, quartered
8 raw king prawns, shelled and deveined
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
4 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp chopped coriander
1 Tbsp finely sliced spring onion
8 coriander leaves, to garnish

Method:

1) Bring the stock to the boil in a large pan, add the lemongrass, galangar, kaffir lime leaves and roasted chilli paste and simmer for about 20 minutes.

2) Increase the heat and bring to the boil, add the chilli and mushrooms and bring back to the boil. Add the king prawns, cook for 2 minutes then add the lime juice, fish sauce, chopped coriander and spring onion. Stir together briefly and serve garnished with coriander leaves.

**Roasted Red Chilli Paste (Nam Prik Pao)

4 Tbsp vegetable oil
15 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
5 shallots, peeled and chopped
5 dried red chillies, deseeded and soaked in warm water
1 tsp shrimp paste
1 Tbsp palm sugar
1 Tbsp tamarind juice
1 1/2 tsp salt

1) Heat the oil in a wok over a medium heat, add the garlic and shallots and fry until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

2) Add the chillies and fry until brown. In a mortar (you can use a blender), pound the chillies, garlic, shallots and shrimp paste until fine and return to the work along with the palm sugar, tamarind juice and salt. Stir-fry over a low heat until the mixture has aromatized and thickened. This paste can be kept in a jar for up to 3 months, top up with vegetable oil to prevent drying.