Prawn Laksa

Great antidote for exploding head syndrome

Paste - Easy Option
Mae Ploy Curry Paste

Paste - homemade
2 small hot red chillies
3 cloves of garlic
6 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
tsp of lemon grass paste
2 medium shallots
tsp tumeric
tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp hot water

Laksa
2 tbsp peanut or veg oil (or olive and sesame mixed together for extra flavour)
laksa paste
500ml coconut milk or cream
1 l chicken or fish stock
2 tsp Asian fish sauce
juice of 2 limes (or 2 tbsp of ready made and bought lime juice)
1 cup raw prawns, shelled, about 170 g and cost around $2.30 from supermarket deli
2 c rice noodles soaked and cooked in boiling water
100 g tofu (optional)
2 hard boiled eggs (for hard working men add another), halved
250g bean sprout (optional)
sml cucumber cut and cubed
tsp fresh coriander out of tube

Put all the paste ingredients into a food processor or spice grinder and blitz until a paste forms. (even better pound everything in a mortar and pestle - picked one up for half price at Briscoes around $25-29 or consult closest hospice shop or sallies)

Heat oil in sauce pan and when hot add paste.
Fry for a minute until it becomes fragrant. Do not allow it to darken.
Add coconut cream and stock and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Season with fish sauce and lime juice, adding salt if necessary but shouldn't be!
Add prawns and simmer for a further minute until cooked.
Cook noodles to packet instructions
Grab bowls and divide noodles up into four parts. Ladle soup into bowls and add tofu (optional) and eggs. Top with sprouts or chillies (for extra heat) or spring onion or cucumber, peanut bits or herbs and serve at once

Enjoy!