Bringing up children is a trial as well as a joy. Their lack of worldly experience gives them a razor-sharp clarity that fades with advancing years and is often gone by the time they’re 10. When our youngest was younger, she possessed this clarity and wielded it without mercy. Often in my wisdom, I told both her and her sister “There is no such thing as a stupid question. Only a stupid answer.” Once, in frustration, I responded to yet another “Are we there yet?” from the back seat of the car with “Don’t ask stupid questions.”
“But Dad, you said that there is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid answers. Does that mean you are stupid?” came the chirpy reply. My eldest used to believe that handbags were ham-bags because one did not carry their hands around in a bag. She also had great difficulty pronouncing “hospital”. My efforts to help her get it right included holding a towel and saying “Hos Pit Towel”. Wasted energy. Also wasted has been my trying to get the younger to pronounce “Vietnamese”. The best she has managed to date has been more like “Fiat, Ma, Knees”. She is 20 now. If I can’t get her to say it, perhaps I can get her to eat it? That’s why I constructed a Vietnamese Mango and Prawn Curry with Thai Fragrant Rice.
Don’t. I repeat Don’t use shop bought curry powder. Make your own. It is well worth it. Here’s what you will need for the curry powder
- Turmeric
- Ground ginger
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- White pepper
- Chili flakes (your call on the heat)
- A couple of cloves
- A couple of dried bay leaves
Before concocting this, I read a number of different recipes in books and online. My mix is a rough approximation of what I had, what I thought might be right and, with the chili flakes, what I thought the Wife could stand. It worked really well. Simply put the lot into a dry pan and heat it over medium heat until the house smells like a Souk.
Take them off and let them cool. Then put them into the mortar and bash them with the pestle until the bay leaves have all but vanished.

To remember which is which, think of the student.They put the mortar on their head. It works for me…
For the rest of it, you will need
- Prawns (about a half kilo)
- Coconut milk (a 400 ml tin)
- A couple of glugs of fish sauce
- Flesh of a mango
- 1 small carrot
- 6 spring onions
- 3 stalks of lemongrass
- 1 chili
- 3 cloves of garlic
- A handful of coriander
- Oil for frying
There is a fair bit of chopping involved in this. Chop the mango into cubes about the same size as your prawns.
Chop the carrot into strips about the length of said prawns. Chop the chili, spring onion, garlic and lemongrass up pretty small. Roughly chop the coriander just before adding it. Here’s the best one of the chopping shots:
I used a wok for this. Any pot will do as long as it is big enough. First add some oil to the hot wok. Add the carrots and stir until about half done. Add the chopped garlic, lemongrass and chili. Stir until the aromas hurt your eyes.
Then add the curry. Stir and coat everything with that powder.
Add the fish sauce and coconut milk. Bring this to the boil then add the prawns and mango.
When these are heated through and the mixture is just about boiling, the prawns should be cooked. Don’t over-cook them. They will shrink and turn hard and only be fit to make earrings. Serve it with the rice that you have made without me having to tell you to.
She may not be able to pronounce it but, she appreciated it. She is going off to spend a few weeks in Thailand in a couple of months. When she gets back, I’ll bet she’ll be able to pronounce ‘Vietmanese’, damn, ‘Veatmanese’, damn, damn it, you know what I mean. “Viet na mese”.
cookinginsens | 30th May 2012
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Great recipe.
aoifemc | 30th May 2012
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I love when my house smells like a souk. I’ve yet to make a good curry. I leave that to my fella Niall who has that curry knack that I find so frustratingly elusive. Mine are usually watery and bland, sad bowls that hint at their possible greatness! This recipe looks fairly foolproof so perhaps I should give it a go? Or is that a stupid question? 🙂
Conor Bofin | 30th May 2012
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Give it a go. What’s the worst that can happen?…
Lucy | 30th May 2012
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Some craicin’ photos 🙂
Jessica | 30th May 2012
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As usual, LOVE your photos. 🙂
StefanGourmet | 30th May 2012
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I’ve never made Viet Na Mese yet, but this looks like something I’d like! Should try to make this and agree with Jessica on the photos!
madamecroquette | 30th May 2012
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Looks delicious! Its great that you make your own spice blend! I have to try it 🙂
Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy | 31st May 2012
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Love this post…beautiful and instructive! (P.S. My son is five…oh do I ever recognize that razor sharpness of little ones tongues!
boomiebol | 31st May 2012
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Going to try and make my own curry…I love curry, this recipe looks yummy but I’m allergic to prawns :(. Great post!!!
The Scrumptious Pumpkin | 31st May 2012
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Thank you for the homemade curry powder recipe. I plan to try it and posted it on Pinterest.
Conor Bofin | 31st May 2012
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The quantities can be varied by quite a bit to suit your own tastes. That is the joy of it as a ‘recipe’. Thanks for the pin.
dutchgoesitalian | 1st June 2012
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Looks delicious!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
The Blissful Adventurer | 1st June 2012
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Ciao Conor,
I loved your post from yesterday and I want to apologize that I did not schedule my post correctly and that my MG Epilogue was supposed to post today and not on the same day as yours. I regret this and hope you will forgive my error as your post really deserved a full 24 hours.
Now, let’s start talking about Ireland! We want to spend at least 3-4 weeks in your world next year and it is never too early to begin the process 🙂
Conor Bofin | 2nd June 2012
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Thanks Michael, It was a bit of fun to write. Most of my posts get a full week to degrade, perhaps too long between posts. I really would love the time to post more frequently but, what with the day job, family and life in general, I will be sticking to once a week with occasional extras.If you are spending some time in Ireland, I will have to get my thinking cap on. It’s kind of easy to do the obvious but there is more fun in the road less travelled. I will get thinking.
Welcome back,
Conor
The Blissful Adventurer | 2nd June 2012
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We should talk for sure, and once again, this was a technical error on my blog and I was a bit blindsided by the second post.
Conor Bofin | 2nd June 2012
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Thanks for the kind thoughts Michael. Really, I was just happy to write something that did not have a recipe hanging off it. I even got to share it with some (less web connected) Italian friends by calling in to their home and reading it to them. They enjoyed it too.
Best,
Conor
The Blissful Adventurer | 2nd June 2012
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That is super cool! Our plan is to perhaps rent a flat in Dublin perhaps for a month and while I will work most days we will weekend out to the country and other things to see.
Conor Bofin | 2nd June 2012
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That sounds like a great plan. I will get to helping you with some suggestions.
sybaritica | 3rd June 2012
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Very nice blend of spices for the powder!
babso2you | 3rd June 2012
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Looks really good!
Russel Ray Photos | 13th June 2012
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I wonder if there is such a thing as a stupid comment. Hmmm…………….. lol
Karen | 13th June 2012
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Love the color of your curry. It must taste delicious with your combined spices, coconut milk, mango and shrimp.
Conor Bofin | 13th June 2012
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Thanks Karen, it was pretty tasty, if I say so myself.
Best,
C
Lorin | 17th July 2012
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Just happen to come across your blog and this recipe reminds me of my moms Guyanese mango curry shrimp :)…looks delish!!
Conor Bofin | 6th August 2012
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Thanks Lorin. Anything with mango is a winner in my book.
Best,
Conor
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