Ingredients:
2 stalks of lemongrass
1 fresh red chilli, stalk removed
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
a bunch of fresh coriander
about half a bottle (400ml) of red peppers in oil
1 heaped teaspoon tomato puree
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
a 2 cm piece of fresh ginger
10 large unpeeled raw tiger prawns
200g sugar snap peas
220g small cooked prawns
400ml coconut milk
Preheat the oven to 200 degree C. Put a large frying pan on a medium heat.
Trim the ends and tough outer leaves of the lemongrass stalks, bash up the stalks with the side of a knife, then put into a food processor with 1 fresh red chilli, 2 cloves of garlic, 4 lime leaves, a bunch of coriander, red peppers, 1 heaped teaspoon of tomato puree, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Peel and add 2 cm of fresh ginger. Blitz to a paste – you might have to stop and use a spatula to scrape down the sides so it all gets whizzed up.
Drizzle some olive oil into the hot frying pan and add the unpeeled raw tiger prawns. Let them fry for around 1 minute, then add a tablespoon of the curry paste and fry for another minute. Tip into an ovenproof dish and put into the oven on the top shelf for about 8-10 minutes. Put the pan back to heat, turning to medium. Drizzle in a little olive oil, then add the sugar snap peas followed by the small prawns. Spoon in the rest of the curry paste, and stir and fry for a minute or two before adding the coconut milk. Stir as it melts down, then leave to simmer on a medium to low heat for about 10 minutes.
Serve over some steamed rice.
Side Notes:
I should have used light soy sauce instead of dark soy sauce so that the colour of the curry is lighter, not as brown/dark as the above. Also, when you are preparing the curry paste, do not add too much coriander at the start because it has an intense flavour. Take a small handful, blitz them together, have a taste and judge if you think you need more coriander in. I think I might have put too much coriander at the start.