Butternut squash and prawn curry with noodles

This rich prawn and squash curry has all the sweet, salty, hot and sour flavours of a great Thai curry and is really easy.

Ingredients

• 75ml/2½fl oz vegetable oil
• 50g/1¾oz ready-made red curry paste from a jar
• 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar (available from Asian supermarkets)
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into large chunks
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into large chunks
• 1 x 400ml/14fl oz tin coconut milk
• 90ml/6 tbsp coconut cream
• ½ tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
• 2 sticks lemongrass, bruised
• 1 tbsp lime pickle from a jar (available from supermarkets and Asian supermarkets)
• 250g/9oz raw king prawns, peeled and de-veined
• 250g/9oz egg noodles, cooked according to packet instructions

For the garnish

• 55ml/2fl oz vegetable oil
• 50g/1¾oz red chilli, thinly sliced
• 50g/1¾oz garlic, thinly sliced
• 50g/1¾oz shallots, thinly sliced

To serve

• 50g/1¾oz beansprouts, picked and washed
• small bunch coriander, leaves only
• small bunch of basil, leaves only

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok over a medium heat and fry the red curry paste for two minutes, until fragrant. Add the palm sugar and cook for 4–5 minutes until the mixture is sticky.

2. Stir in the squash and sweet potato and cook for 2–3 minutes.

3. Add the coconut milk, coconut cream, fish sauce and the lemongrass and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to simmer for 20–30 minutes, or until the squash and potato are tender but not mushy. Add the lime pickle and king prawns and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the prawns are pink and cooked through.

4. For the garnish, heat the oil in a wok over a low heat. Add the sliced chilli and cook slowly until all of the moisture from the chillies has evaporated (at which point the oil will stop bubbling), then turn up the heat slightly, so the chillies caramelise and crisp up. Remove the chilli slices with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat this cooking process with the sliced garlic and the shallots.

5. To serve, divide the noodles among four shallow bowls. Top with several spoonfuls of the curry, then sprinkle each bowl with a little of the bean shoots, coriander leaves and basil leaves. Garnish with a pinch of each of the crisp fried chillies, garlic and shallots.

Source: BBC