Hot and Sour Thai Prawn Soup

Hot and Sour Thai Prawn Soup

Ingredients:
Green prawns - 400 gms, medium sized
Spring onions - 2, finely chopped
Fish sauce - 6 tbsp
Coarsely chopped garlic - 1 tsp
Lime juice - 2 tbsp
Red Chillies - 4, finely chopped
Lemon grass - 1 stalk, thick base only, coarsely chopped
Dried or fresh kaffir lime leaves - 3
Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp, roughly chopped
Water - 6 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - as required

Method:
1. Shell and devein the prawns. Instead of throwing away the heads and the shells, reserve them.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan. To the heated oil, add the prawn shells and heads and cook over high flame. Wait till they turn pink.
3. Now pour the water. Add garlic, lemon grass, chillies and lime leaves. Sprinkle salt as per taste. Bring it to boil.
4. Then reduce the flame to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, uncovered.
5. Take a clean pan and strain the stock into it. For straining, use a double thickness of paper towel placed in a sieve.
6. Now, add the prawns to it. Bring the blend to a simmer.
7. Keep cooking till prawns have turned pink. It will just take a few minutes. Remove from flame.
8. Add spring onion, coriander and chilli. Mix lime juice and fish sauce.