Pumpkin, Prawn and Coconut Soup Recipe

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Total cooking time: 20 minutes
Recipe serves 4-6

Ingredients

500g pumpkin
4 tablespoons lime juice
8 medium raw king prawns
2 onions, chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
1 stem lemon grass (white part only) chopped
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1 teaspoon sugar

1 ½ cups coconut milk

1 teaspoon tamarind puree

1 cup water

½ cup coconut cream

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons fresh Thai basil leaves, optional, plus some extra leaves or sprigs to garnish

Method

1. Peel pumpkin and scoop out seeds. Cut the pumpkin into cubes and combine with half of the lime juice in a medium bowl. Remove heads from prawns; peel and devein prawns.

2. Process the onions, chilli, chopped lemon grass, shrimp paste, sugar and about ¼ cup of coconut milk in a food processor until a paste forms.

3. Combine the paste with the remaining coconut milk, tamarind puree and water in a large pan and stir until smooth. Add the pumpkin with the lime juice to the pan; bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or until the pumpkin is just tender.

4. Add the raw prawns and the coconut cream; simmer for 3 minutes or until the prawns are just pink and tender. Stir in the fish sauce, the remaining lime juice and the Thai basil leaves, if using. When ready to serve, pour the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the extra Thai basil leaves or sprigs. 

Note

Thai basil leaves give a distinctive flavour. They are available from Asian food stores.