The secret to this prawn curry is buying the best Thai red curry paste you can find. You want one that is both punchy and aromatic as it will be cooled by the sweetness of the tomatoes and the creamy coconut milk.
INGREDIENTS
thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
3–4 tbsp Thai red curry paste
330 g (111⁄2 oz) cherry tomatoes
150 g (51⁄2 oz) creamed coconut (2⁄3 of a block)
2 x 165-g (53⁄4-oz) packs of fresh raw peeled king prawns (jumbo shrimp)
200 g (7 oz) baby leaf spinach
1 small bag of sugar snap peas
2 x 250-g (9-oz) pouches of pre-cooked basmati rice
2 limes
fish sauce
olive oil
GET READY
boil the kettle
large saucepan
grater
tablespoon
wooden spoon
measuring jug (pitcher)
spoon
sharp knife
chopping board
4 serving bowls
Get a large saucepan over a low heat. Drizzle in a good splash of olive oil, then finely grate the ginger directly into the pan. Add the curry paste, according to how spicy you like it, then turn up the heat to high and fry, stirring, for 1 minute to cook out the spices.
Chuck in the whole cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes until they begin to burst. Meanwhile, put the creamed coconut in a jug and pour over 500 ml (18 fl oz) boiling water from the kettle. Stir to break the coconut up slightly, then pour into the saucepan.
Bring the curry sauce to a rolling boil, then tip in the prawns, spinach and sugar snap peas. Allow the spinach to wilt briefly, then give everything a good mix. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the prawns have just turned pink, then turn off the heat. If the curry sauce looks a little thick, add a splash of water to thin it slightly.
Squeeze the rice pouches to slightly break up the grains, then heat in the microwave following the packet instructions. Cut one lime in half and the other into four wedges. Squeeze the juice of the lime halves into the curry and season with fish sauce to taste. Divide the rice between four bowls and spoon over the curry. Serve with the lime wedges for squeezing over.
SPEED HACK
Aside from cutting up two limes, this recipe requires no chopping and only uses one pan. It couldn’t be simpler.
The featured recipe is from Speedy MOB: 12-Minute meals for 4 people .
Read more about the cookbook here.
