Assam Prawns Recipe

Assam Prawns Recipe

(Nyonya Sour Prawns Recipe)

500 g (1 lb) large prawns (shrimps), center part of shell, feelers and legs removed

3 tablespoons thick tamarind juice, extracted from 100 g (3½ oz tamarind pulp and

  3 tablespoons water

1½ teaspoons thick soy sauce

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

½ teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

500 ml (16 fl oz) cooking oil

Garnish:

1 scallion, cut into thin strips of 5-cm (2-inch) length

1 red chili, cut into thin strips

Method:

Marinate the prawns (shrimps) in tamarind juice, soy sauce, salt and sugar for 4 hours in the refrigerator.  Heat the cooking oil and deep-fry the prawns (shrimps) until cooked.  Garnish with scallions and red chili before serving.

Note:  Prawns (shrimps) can be pan-fried with 60 ml (2 fl oz) cooking oil if desired.  Fry the prawns (shrimps) for 3 minutes, then pour in the marinade and cook until the sauce thickens.  Likewise, Spanish mackerel can be cooked this way, but do not add the marinade.  omit sugar in the marinade.