#RECIPE 7: CÀ RI TÔM/ PRAWN CURRY YUM YUM

Well, it has been a long time since I've post the lastest recipe. This time, I think you guys would think: "Ooh wow, it 's an Indian food, not Vietnamese's, girl?". Yes! Of course, curry and spices are originally from India, and curry has became India's "National dish" right? But you know what, actually curry is also a familiar and loveable enjoyable dish of Vietnamese, just like the other Asian countries, like Japan, Korea and Thailand,...

I(or we, or US), the young 80-90s babies were born, are all WORKSHIP Mom's Chicken curry. Moms always cook chicken curry for our birthday party, or when we'd had a good school-year. It was liked a GIFT for us. Traditionally, in past, our childhood party happened liked this: Friends would come and dressed well, they gived gifts(usually SOAP! yes! SOAP hahaha or notebooks or luxury gifts are shampoo and body soft wash) to the birthday man. Then we took photos with gifts and  birthday cake. Anddd here is the partyyy, moms(our mom together with neighbor-moms) served foods to the table. First was the lotus root with boiled pork and shrimps salad(Gỏi ngó sen), next was the HOT Chicken curry with Bánh mì. The thicken curry sauce went so good when you dipped the Bánh mì in.  And all the kids digged in liked a wolf-gang! Seriously I mean it! Ah, we also had Coke, too. Last but not least, that was the B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y-C-A-K-E man. At that time, we only had one type of birthday cake: the 2 or 3 sponge cake layers with fresh cream frosting, decorated with roses and green leaves also made from cream and some chocolate. Sounds familiar here my Vietnamese 80-90s babies? Yeah, Vietnamese style birthday cake are simple and and humble, but it tastes real good.

Now, back to our dish today, I think it's perfect and easy, simple for you, for me, for all of us to treat family at weekend. Kids love curry and prawns, I am sure. Then you can put any kind of vegetable and green there to "force" them to eat the vitamins. Not like the Vietnamese Chicken curry, we have to cook the chicken with potato, like:potato, sweet potato and taro, no green stuffs. But in this Prawn curry, we can put everything we love to cook with the protein. Very flexible! You'll never believe that those rustic ingredients which could be found at the market near your house would make a fanstatic dish ever! Here is my recipe, but you know that, you can put ANYTHING, ANYTHING type of vegetable or mushroom or carb that you prefer!

Remember, you never cook the prawns too long or they'll turn very chewy like gum-gum, and the coconut milk will break the fat. Not recommend to use the shiitake mushroom because its smell is very strong.

The English recipe below(updating...)

*) Nguyên liệu

- Tôm to bự, loại nào cũng được ăn nhiêu tùy gia đình. Mình dùng 400-500gr
- 1-2 củ khoai lang vừa
- 1/2 quả bí đỏ, loại hồ lô dẻo
- 100gr đậu bắp
- 150gr nấm rơm
- 1 củ hành tây nhỏ
- 4 cây sả tươi
- 200-250ml nước cốt dừa
- 600ml nước
- 1M và 1m Bột cà ri
- 1M tương cà(tomato paste hoặc ketchup đều ok)
- Hành tỏi băm
- Ngò
- Bánh mì, baguette, sandwich,...
- Muối tiêu chanh

*) Cách làm
- Tôm cắt bỏ đầu, lột vỏ, bỏ chân, râu, rạch lưng lấy chỉ đen. Rửa sạch với nước muối và rượu trắng. Để ráo.
- Ướp tôm với 2m hạt nêm, 1/2m tiêu, 1/4m bột ngọt và sả băm(1 cây), hành tỏi băm.
- Khoai lang và bí đỏ cắt khối vừa ăn và bằng nhau. Khoai lang nhớ bỏ sẹo lồi lõm và ngâm vào nước muối.
- Hành tây cắt múi cam
- Khoai lang ướp với 1m bột cà ri
- Cắt bỏ cuống và đuôi đậu bắp. Cắt làm đôi hoặc làm 3.
- Nấu rơm cắt đôi hoặc làm 4. Ngâm rửa nước muối loãng ấm.
- 3 cây sả nguyên đập dập.
- Phi thơm hành tỏi và 3 cây sả đập dập. Cho 1M ketchup vào đảo sơ. Sau đó cho tôm cùng 1M bột cà ri đã hòa tan với xíu nước vào xào nhanh tay, lửa lớn. Lấy tôm ra để riêng.
- Cho tiếp khoai lang vào đảo nhanh tay rồi cho 200ml nước cốt dừa và 600ml nước thường vào. Hầm khoai hơi mềm rồi trút bí đỏ vào hầm chung. Bí đỏ hầm chín sẽ làm nước đặc đặc lại chấm bánh mì rất ngon.
- Tiếp tục cho đậu bắp và nấm rơm vào nấu chín tới.
- Cuối cùng mới cho tôm vào nấu khoảng 2-3' rồi tắt bếp. Cho hành tây vào. 
- Bày ra đĩa, trang trí rau ngò. Chấm cùng bánh mì, muối tiêu chanh.

*) Ingredients:

- 500gr big prawns
- 1-2 medium size sweet potato
- 1/2 pumpkin or butter nut squash
- 100gr okra
- 150gr straw mushroom, or an kind of mushroom you like, or button mushroom
- 1 small onion
- 4 sticks of lemongrass
- 200-250ml coconut milk
- 600ml water
- 1TBSP and 1tsp curry powder
- 1TBSP ketchup or tomato paste
- Mince garlic and shallots
- Corriander or parsley to decorate
- Bánh mì, bread, baguette or sandwich as you like
- Salt-pepper with lime juice( muối tiêu chanh)