Ingredients

4 cups water

1 stick lemon grass

1 inch ginger root sliced thin

4 1x3" strips of lime peel

2 dried hot chilies (bird chilies if available)

3 Tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

1-1/2 chili paste

2 oz button mushrooms, quartered

16 large shrimp, peeled & deveined

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 small white onions, halved & quartered

1 basil leaf, chopped

1 small tomato halved & quartered

Preparation

  1. Heat 4 cups of water to boiling.

  2. Smash lemon grass once & chop into 1-inch pieces.add to lime peel & ginger.

  3. open dried chilies and remove seeds, chop into moderately small pieces.

  4. when water has boiled, add lemongrass/lime peel/ginger and boil for 1 minute. Add fish sauce/sugar/chili paste and boil for additional 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and basil leaf and boil for 2 more minutes. Add shrimp,lime juice,onions and tomatoes, reduce heat to medium high and cook for 2 minutes, or until shrimp have turned white & springy. Remove from heat and serve.