Penang Prawn Curry

Ingredients:

125g Thai Jasmine rice
250g uncooked prawns, peeled
500ml coconut milk
2 tbsp Penang curry paste
3 tbsp Nam Pla (fish sauce)
1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and cut into strips
120g sugarsnap peas
1 tbsp unsalted peanuts, ground in a blender
8 Kaffir lime leaves, torn into strips
2 Thai birdseye chillies, finely chopped
squeeze of lime juice
70g Thai holy basil leaves
1 red chilli, sliced into rings

Method:

Wash the rice thoroughly, then add to a pan with about 300ml water (enough water to cover the rice by about 1.5cm). Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer then cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for abut 8 minutes, or until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff up the rice and use as the base for the curry.

Add half the coconut milk to a wok and bring to a boil before stirring in the curry paste. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Now blend in the fish sauce and the palm sugar before adding he ground peanuts. Stir to combine then blend in the remaining coconut milk.

Continue cooking for 2 minutes then add the peas, prawns, red pepper, kaffir lime leaves, chillies and a generous squeeze of lime juice. Simmer for about 3 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked and taste for seasoning.

Serve on a bed of a rice and garnish with the Thai holy basil leaves. As an accompaniment serve a bowl of fish sauce with the sliced chilli floating in it (called nam pla prik).