Southern-Thai Style Curry of Prawns and Cucumber
Ingredients
- 400g whole prawns in shell
- 1 cucumber, deseeded and cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup tamarind water (see highlights for how to make)
- 2 tbs fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp palm sugar
- 5-10 thai basil leaves
- 3 tbs coconut oil
- paste—
- 15 dried red chillies, deseeded, soaked and drained
- 1 tbs chopped lemongrass
- 1 tbs chopped shallot
- 3 tbs chopped fresh turmeric
- 3 tbs chopped garlic
- 1/2 tbs white peppercorns
- 1 tbs shrimp paste
Preparation
First, shell and devein prawns. Then make paste in a mortar and pestle by pounding each ingredient one by one into a fine paste starting from the hardest (white peppercorn) to softest (shrimp paste).
Heat a wok or pot, add coconut oil and fry 3 tbs of the paste for about 5 minutes stirring vigorously to ensure your don't burn it.
Add fish sauce, sugar, tamarind water. Add prawns and cucumber and simmer until prawns are cooked. Finish with Thai basil. Serve with Jasmine rice