Thai Tom Kar Soup With Shrimp Dumplings

This delicious, spicy-yet-fragrant, Thai-style coconut milk soup is flavored with Tom Yam paste, ginger, lemon grass, lime and a hint of chilli, and served with shrimp 'pot-sticker' dumplings. Tom Yam paste is available from most supermarkets - the better the quality, the better the soup will be. I prefer to pan-fry the dumplings as directed below, but if you wish, you can steam the dumplings in an oiled double boiler or a bamboo steamer basket for 8 - 10 minutes. Note: Please do not confuse the shallots in this recipe with green onions or scallions.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut cream
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 3⁄4 cup water
• 2  tablespoons  tom yam paste
• 2  shallots, finely sliced
• 2  teaspoons  grated palm sugar (or dark brown sugar)
• 1  tablespoon  finely chopped ginger
• 1  red chile, sliced finely and seeded if desired
• 1  stalk lemongrass, finely sliced
• 8  kaffir lime leaves or 1  lime, finely grated zest of
• 3⁄4 cup  halved button mushroom
• 1 (6 ounce)  zucchini, quartered lengthwise, then sliced crossways
• 12 -15  shrimp  dumplings, depending on number of servings (from freezer of Asian foodstores)
• 2  tablespoons  peanut oil
• 1  cup boiling water
•  fresh cilantro stem

Directions

1. Place the coconut cream, coconut milk and water into a heavy-based pan. Stir in the tom yam paste, shallots, palm sugar, ginger, chilli, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves (or lime zest) and mushrooms. Bring gently to the boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
2. A few minutes before the end of cooking time, add the sliced zucchini - it should be crisp-tender when the soup is served.
3. Meanwhile, heat a heavy-based non-stick skillet and when hot, add the peanut oil. Add the dumplings, pleated edge up, in a single layer, crowding them into the skillet. Cook until they are lightly brown on the bottoms. Pour in the boiling water, cover tightly, and cook vigorously for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated. Uncover the pan and continue cooking until all of the moisture has evaporated, the skillet is sizzling again and the dumplings are golden brown and crisp on the bottoms.
4. Ladle soup into bowls and add dumplings and garnish with cilantro sprigs.