Thai Fish and Prawn Laksa (gf)

This soup can be thrown together in just 30 minutes.

2 tablespoons rice bran oil

4 shallots, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

½ red chilli, seeds removed and roughly chopped (optional)

2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

1 makrut (kaffir) lime leaf, finely chopped

2 x 400ml tins coconut milk

1½ cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon fish sauce

300 grams pumpkin, peeled and diced

100 grams raw prawn cutlets

300 grams firm white fish fillets, sliced into 3cm chunks

4 stems broccolini, quartered

2 teaspoons palm sugar (see Cook’s note) or brown sugar

juice 1 lime

300 grams rice noodles

TO SERVE

1 cup mung beans

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

½ red chilli, thinly sliced

¼ cup coriander leaves

¼ cup basil or mint leaves

2 tablespoons fried shallots

1 lime, cut into wedges

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger and chilli and fry over a low heat, stirring frequently. Add the red curry paste and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the chopped lime leaf, coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce and pumpkin and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Add the broccolini, fish, prawn cutlets, palm sugar and lime juice and cook for a further 4 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook noodles for about 2-4 minutes until soft.

TO SERVE: Divide noodles among four bowls, ladle over laksa and top with accompaniments. SERVES 4