Yummy Tom Yum Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 cups water
2 stalks lemongrass, cut into strips and smashed
3 slices fresh ginger
4 dried kaffir lime leaves
1 tablespoon tamarind paste, with or 1 tablespoon without seeds
1 tablespoon fish sauce
300 g medium to large shrimp, shelled, deveined and butterflied if desired (optional) or 300 g some other protein like tofu, lentils
1/2 small onion, sliced
2 tablespoons roasted chili paste
1 punnet halved button mushroom
oil or butter for frying mushroom
5 g dried wild mushrooms, plus warm water to soak them
12 fresh whole chilies (I used chilli flakes) or 2 medium sized jalepeno chilies, cut lengthwise into strips (I used chilli flakes)
1 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 small lime, juice of
2 spring onions
2 sprigs fresh coriander

Preparation

1.\tLightly fry mushrooms in oil or butter. Soak dried mushrooms in warm water for 20 min.
2.\tBring water to boil over high heat.
3.\tAdd the lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, tamarind paste and fish sauce.
4.\tAdd the prawns, bring to a boil, and cook for three minutes.
5.\tAdd the onion, chilli paste and mushrooms.
6.\tBoil for another 7 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through.
7.\tAdd the chilli peppers, spring onions and tomatoes.
8.\tTurn off the heat.
9.\tAdd the lime juice.
10.\tTaste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
11.\tGarnish with coriander.