Fish and Shellfish Recipes - Prawns with Tamarind Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 dried red chilies

• 30ml/2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 30ml/2 tbsp chopped onion

• 30ml/2 tbsp palm sugar (jaggery) or light muscovado (brown) sugar

• 30ml/2 tbsp chicken stock

• 15ml/1 tbsp fish sauce

• 90ml/6 tbsp tamarind juice, made by mixing tamarind paste with warm water

• 450g/1lb raw prawns (shrimp), peeled

• 15ml/1 tbsp fried chopped garlic

• 30ml/2 tbsp fried sliced shallots

• 2 spring onions (scallions), chopped, to garnish

Serves 4-6

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Method:

1. Heat a wok or large frying pan, but do not add any oil at this stage. Add the dried chilies and dry-fry them by pressing them against the surface of the wok or pan with a spatula, turning them occasionally.

2. Add the oil to the wok or pan and reheat. Cook the chopped onion over a medium heat, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes, until softened and golden brown.

3. Add the sugar, stock, fish sauce, dry-fried red chilies and the tamarind juice, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved.

4. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat slightly. Add the prawns, garlic and shallots.

5. Toss over the heat for few minutes, until the prawns are cooked. Garnish with the spring onions and serve.

Note: The sour, tangy flavor that is characteristic of many Asian dishes comes from tamarind. Fresh tamarind pods can sometimes be bought, but preparing them for cooking is a laborious process. It is much easier to use ready-made tamarind paste, which is available in many Asian supermarkets.