Tom Kha (Coconut Soup) With Shrimp - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 stalks fresh lemongrass, chopped
3 large shallots, chopped
8 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped coarse
3 tablespoons fish sauce
32 ounces chicken broth
2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 -2 cup sliced mushrooms
50 -60 raw shrimp (thawed)
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
jasmine rice, 3/4 cup per person

Preparation

Cook as much Jasmine rice as needed.
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until just shimmering.
Add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro and 1 tbsp fish sauce; cook, stirring frequently, until just softened, 2 to 5 minutes (vegetables should not be brown).
Stir in chicken broth and 1 can of coconut milk; bring to simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors have blended, 10 minutes.
Pour broth through fine mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer.
Rinse saucepan and return broth mixture to pan. Return pan to medium-high heat.
Stir remaining can coconut milk, curry paste*, and sugar into broth mixture and bring to simmer.
Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add shrimp.
Serve with desired amount of Jasmine rice.
*This works very well and can be kept in the pantry until opened (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CJCBJES1L._SS500_.jpg).