(Tom Yum Goong)
(Courtesy of : http://sunsite.au.ac.th/thailand/Thai_food)

What you need:

500 g medium raw prawns

1 tablespoon oil

2 liters water

2 tablespoons Red Curry Paste or commercial paste

2 tablespoons tamarind pure'e

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon chopped red chilies, optional

4 kaffir lime leaves, shredded

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons soft brown sugar

1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves

Method of preparation

Remove the prawn heads. Peel the prawns, leaving the tails intact. Using a sharp knife slit each prawn down the back and devein. Set the prawns aside. Heat the oil in a large pan.

Add the prawn shells and heads to the pan and cook for 10 minutes over medium-high heat, tossing frequently, until shells and heads are deep orange.

Add 1 cup of the water and the curry paste to pan. Boil for 5 minutes, until reduced slightly. Add remaining water and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the stock. Discard heads and shells. Return stock to pan.

Add the tamarind, turmeric, chilies and lime leaves to pan; bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add the prawns to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until prawns turn pink. Add the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar to the pan; toss. Serve immediately, sprinkled with coriander leaves.