Ingredients

24 prawns, heads removed, the tails cleaned, deveined and butterflied

250 g desiccated coconut

Cold water

Basmati rice

2 sticks lemongrass

Juice of 2 limes

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1 green chilli, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Salt to taste

A grinding of black pepper

Method

Soak 6 bamboo skewers in cold water for half an hour.

Clean the prawns, dehead them, remove the veins, rinse, dry and keep aside.

Pour desiccated coconut into a bowl and pour in cold water to more than cover the coconut. Cover with cling film and leave to steep for 2 or 3 hours. Strain and keep the coconut water to cook the rice in.

Boil the basmati rice in the coconut water, reducing to a simmer, covered, and cooking until all the coconut water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy.

Bash the lemongrass stalks with a heavy object, remove the hard outer layers, and chop the white inner part finely.

Marinate the prawns in a bowl with the lemongrass, lime juice, garlic, chilli, fish sauce, salt and pepper, for an hour or more.

Skewer 4 of the marinated prawns onto each of 6 skewers.

Cook the skewered prawns over hot coals for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Serve with a green diced salad of cucumber, green pepper, spring onions and chilli, dressed with a vinaigrette of 1 Tbsp each of brown rice vinegar, fish sauce, ponzu, and a splash of chilli oil. DM/TGIFood

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