TOM YAM SOUP RECIPE

 

Malaysian cuisine consists of cooking traditions and practices found in Malaysia, and reflects the multi-ethnic makeup of its population.The vast majority of Malaysia's population can roughly be divided among three major ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese and Indians. The remainder consists of the indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia, the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia, the Peranakan and Eurasian creole communities, as well as a significant number of foreign workers and expatriates.

As a result of historical migrations, colonisation by foreign powers, and its geographical position within its wider home region, Malaysia's culinary style in the present day is primarily a melange of traditions from its Malay, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and ethnic Bornean citizens, with heavy to light influences from Thai, Portuguese, Dutch, Arabian cuisines and British cuisines, to name a few. This resulted in a symphony of flavours, making Malaysian cuisine highly complex and diverse. The condiments and spices used in cooking varies as the land is blessed with these natural resources that brings bursting flavours in the outcome of meal preparation.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups shrimp stock, best, canned chicken stock, or water
• 10-12 shrimp or 8 oz, head-on and shell-on but chop the eyes part off, devein if you like
• 3 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
• 6 bird's eyes chilies, pounded
• 3 slices galangal
• 6 kaffir lime leaves (bruised)
• 2 tablespoons nam prik pao, Thai roasted chili paste
• 2 tablespoons nam prik pao oil
• 3 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3-inch strips, pounded with a cleaver
• 6 canned straw mushrooms / fresh oyster mushrooms / fresh white button mushrooms

 

METHOD

• In a pot, bring 3 cups of water to boil. Then add a big handful of shrimp/prawn heads. Boil the shrimp head until the water turns slightly orange in color. Press the shrimp heads with spatula to extract the "goodies" from their heads. Let the stock reduce to slightly more than 2 1/2 cups. Drain the shrimp stock and discard the shrimp heads.
• Add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, bird's eye chilies, mushrooms, nam prik bao to the shrimp stock and bring it to boil. Add in the shrimp and fish sauce. Lastly, add the lime juice (if you add lime juice too early, the soup might turn bitter). Boil until the shrimps are cooked, dish out and serve hot.