Kerala clam and shrimp coconut soup

This is a rich, bright red soup with the bite of chillies tempered by creamy coconut milk. It is a definite appetite stimulator and could happily be followed by another fish dish (maybe whole, stuffed and baked) before the meat course. On the Kerala coast it is served with all the spices and pieces of clam, rather like a red-hot bouillabaisse. But I have refined the recipe for a dinner menu.