Ingredients
8 Gambas
1 heaped tbsp tom yum paste
1 ltr fish broth or plain water
2 lemongrass [slice diagonally]
1 large onion [sliced in to 6]
5 kaffir lime leaves
1 galangal root [sliced thinly]
2 plum tomatoes [quartered]
2 heaped tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 heaped tbsp coconut cream
1 tbsp ground chilli & garlic in oil
Method
Place the water or fish broth in a deep pan. Put on the hob in medium heat. Add the tom yum paste and stir. Add the sliced onions, tomatoes, lemongrass, galangal. Bring to simmer. This takes about 5 minutes.
Then, add the tamarind paste and season with the fish sauce. Tasting often and adjust the seasoning by adding more as needed.
Add the coconut cream to the broth. Stir gently and bring the broth back to simmer. Add the prawns and simmer and stir gently for 5 minutes then add the kaffir lime leaves. Turn off the heat.
Divide the soup on to bowls and add the ground chilli & garlic oil to each bowl depending on heat required.
Serve whilst hot with jasmine rice and chopped coriander [optional].
HAWT PRAWNS TOM YUM SOUP
This serves 2 for a good lunch accompanied with steamed rice or pre-boiled thin flat rice noodles.
You can use either fish broth or plain water. It's up to you and what's available. For this, i used plain water as a base then, about a dozen of heads and shells from pre-cooked french crevettes which i placed on a bowl and pounded for use later in the cooking process. I used some hot water from the pan and added on the bowl and using a sieve, i added the prawn juice in the pan, discarding the shells.
Add the ground chilli & garlic oil according to your heat resistance. I can take it hot hot hot so i would usually put a whole tbsp on my bowl.
I used frozen pre-cooked gambas which i rinsed in cold water and thawed before use.
Finally, for ease of reference, i added a link to an image to some of the ingredients.