Vietnamese Coconut Curry Prawns with Crispy Noodle Nest

Plump, juicy prawns swimming in a fragrant, golden coconut curry broth spiked with lemongrass, galangal, and Vietnamese spices — all served dramatically atop a shatteringly crispy fried vermicelli noodle nest. It's street food meets dinner party showstopper, and it's absolutely going to make your kitchen smell like heaven.

Recipe details

Yield
4 people
Prep time
25 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Total time
55 minutes total

Ingredients

  • 700g (about 24 prawns) large raw prawns, peeled and deveined, tails on (fresh or thawed from frozen)
  • 200g dried rice vermicelli noodles (for the crispy nests)
  • 400ml (1 can) coconut milk (full-fat for best richness)
  • 200ml coconut cream
  • 3 stalks lemongrass stalks, white part only, bruised and finely sliced
  • 3cm piece galangal, peeled and grated (sub fresh ginger if unavailable)
  • 5 cloves garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 small shallots, finely diced
  • 2–3 red bird's eye chillies, thinly sliced (adjust to your heat tolerance)
  • 6 leaves kaffir lime leaves, central rib removed, leaves left whole (find these at Asian grocery stores)
  • 2 tbsp Vietnamese curry powder (Cà ri bột — or use a mild Madras-style curry powder)
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce (check label — most are soy-free)
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar, grated or chopped (or light brown sugar)
  • 2 limes lime (1 for juice, 1 cut into wedges for serving)
  • 500ml neutral cooking oil (for frying the noodle nests — vegetable or sunflower oil)
  • 3 tbsp neutral cooking oil (for the curry base)
  • 1 large handful fresh Thai basil, leaves picked (regular basil works in a pinch)
  • small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped, for garnish
  • 3 spring onions, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil. Add 200g dried rice vermicelli noodles and cook for just 3–4 minutes until barely tender — they should still have a little bite. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Spread them out on a clean tea towel or tray and let them dry as thoroughly as possible. The drier they are, the crispier your nests will be. Set aside.
  2. While the noodles dry, peel and devein 700g large raw prawns, leaving the tails on. Pat them very dry with paper towel. In a bowl, toss the prawns with 1 tsp turmeric powder and 1 tbsp of the Vietnamese curry powder. Set aside to marinate lightly.
  3. Trim 3 lemongrass stalks — peel away the tough outer layers and use only the pale white inner section. Bruise each stalk with the flat of a knife, then slice finely. Set aside.
  4. Peel a 3cm piece of galangal and grate it finely on a microplane or box grater. Set aside.
  5. Peel and mince 5 garlic cloves. Finely dice 4 small shallots. Slice 2–3 red bird's eye chillies thinly. Keep these aromatics grouped together — they'll all go in at the same time.
  6. Remove the central rib from 6 kaffir lime leaves and leave the leaves whole. Set aside with your other aromatics.
  7. Pour 500ml neutral frying oil into a medium saucepan or wok and heat over medium-high until it reaches 180°C (350°F). Test with a strand of noodle — it should sizzle and puff within 3 seconds.
  8. While the oil heats, divide the dried noodles into 4 equal portions. Using tongs or two forks, twist each portion into a loose nest shape about 10–12cm across.
  9. Carefully lower the first noodle nest into the hot oil. It will puff and turn golden in 60–90 seconds. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to flip it halfway through. Remove when deep golden and shatteringly crisp, and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the remaining 3 nests. Keep warm in a low oven (100°C) while you cook the curry. Reserve the frying oil for another use or discard safely.
  10. Heat 3 tbsp neutral cooking oil in a large wok or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, diced shallots, sliced lemongrass, grated galangal, and sliced chillies. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until softened and wonderfully fragrant — your kitchen should smell incredible right about now.
  11. Add the remaining 1 tbsp Vietnamese curry powder to the wok and stir it into the aromatics. Toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the spices deepen in colour and become even more fragrant.
  12. Pour in the 400ml coconut milk and 200ml coconut cream. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Drop in the 6 kaffir lime leaves.
  13. Season the broth with 3 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tbsp palm sugar. Stir and taste — it should be fragrant, slightly sweet, salty, and rich. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavours meld beautifully.
  14. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and stir. Taste again and adjust — more fish sauce for salt, more lime for brightness, more sugar if needed.
  15. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the turmeric-and-curry-marinated prawns to the simmering broth in a single layer. Cook for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until the prawns are pink, curled, and just cooked through. Do not overcook — they'll toughen and break your heart.
  16. Scatter in a large handful of Thai basil leaves and stir through. Remove from heat immediately.
  17. Thinly slice 3 spring onions and roughly chop the fresh coriander for garnish.
  18. Place one crispy noodle nest on each plate or in a wide shallow bowl. Ladle the coconut curry prawns generously over and around each nest, making sure everyone gets plenty of sauce. The nest will start to soak up the curry — this is a feature, not a bug. Garnish with sliced spring onions, fresh coriander, and an extra slice or two of red chilli. Serve immediately with a wedge of lime on the side.