Prawn and Pineapple curry

Hi! I have been missing in action again for quite some time. I just came back from my 17 days Rockie and Alaska trip a week ago. Had been busy washing laundry, doing house chores and others. Until today, I finally have the time to settle down to cook something local which I have been desiring to whip up.

Recipe: Adapted  here.

Spice paste:*

*15 dried chillies, seeded, soaked until soft then squeezed dry

*10 shallots, peeled

*5 buah keras (candle nuts)

*2 cm length turmeric

1 tbsp belacan, crumbled

2 stalks lemongrass - use only 4 - 5 inches from bottom, bashed

2 thick slices galangal or lengkuas, bashed 

500 ml water

3 slices tamarind (assam keeping)

1/2  a ripe but firm pineapple, skinned, coredand cut into desired chunck size

600 g large prawns (I used medium size), deveined, left unshelled

1 to 1.1/2 tsp salt to taste

1 to 2 tsp sugar (add more if pineapple is sour, less if it's sweet)

Laksa leaves - optional

Method:

1)  Combine spice paste ingredients and pound or process to a smooth and fine paste.

2) Heat about 5 tbsp oil in a wok or pot stir-fry the belacan until crisp and no longer fishy smelling (moderate heat).  Add lemongrass and galangal and stir for about half a minute

3)  Add the spice paste and stir -fry until fragrant and mixture separates from the oil.

4)  Add water and tamarind and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add pineapples, simmer for 2 minutes.  Add prawns and simmer for another 3 -4 minutes or prawns are cooked through. Do not overcook or prawns will toughen up.

5)  Add salt and sugar to taste. If gravy is tangy enough, discard tamarind slices.

6)  Dish out, garnish, and serve hot.

Fried Prawns with Tomato Sauce - 茄汁煎虾碌

In the year of 1960s, they were four Heavenly Culinary Kings, They were the late Mr Tham Yui Kai （谭锐佳）, Mr Hooi Kok Wai  （许国威）,  Lau Yoke Pin （刘育培) and Mr Sin  Leong (冼良)..   The late Mr Tham Yui Kai who was also one of the founders of Lai Wah Restaurant (丽华）now located at Bendemeer Road is run by the descendants of the late founder Mr Wong Kok Lum - Mr Wong Kah Onn, the eldest son and his wife.

Mr Tham was a master of the Cantonese cusine and he is an author of a cook book. I have a copy of this book and I am cooking this "fried prawns with tomato sauce". It is really awesome. I bet it is so yummy and tastes better than any restaurants.

Recipe: 

Ingredients:
900g big prawns (I recommend deep sea prawns than cultivated prawns it give better texture)
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 slice ginger, chopped

Sauce: Mix well
6 tablespoons  water
1.1/2 teaspoon or to taste - fine salt
1 tablespoon or to taste -sugar
2 teaspoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoon tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
pepper
I added 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce and 1 tsp dark soy sauce to enhance the flavour

Method:
1) Cut and clean the prawns, Remove the veins. Pat dry with kitchen towel or paper.
2) Heat oil in a wok, pan fried the prawns until both sides are golden and 80% cooked. Dish up.
3) Pour some oil in the wok and saute the chopped garlic and ginger till fragrant , add sauce and cook for a while. Stir and pour prawns into the sauce, continue to cook for few minutes (with a covered lid).
4) Once the prawns are cooked, thicken the sauce with some cornstarch water. Garnish with spring onions and red chillies.

Fried Prawns and Petai with instant Sambal Paste 香-炒叁巴臭豆虾

During my trip to Cameron Highlands, I bought one bunch of petai from the road side stall. They were very cheap! It cost me only RM10.00. I managed to get 300g of  beans after opening up the pods.  That is enough for me too cook 3 times. They are worth buying.

I am supposed to make my sambal chilli paste today but I am just too lazy to do it. So the lazy me,  got a small bottle of instant one from the market.  To my pleasant surprise,  the ABC brand Sambal Chilli paste is not bad at all!

Recipe:

Ingredients:
300g shelled medium prawns (deveined)
1 big onion, sliced
100g petai
2 lime leaves, shredded
1 tablespoon of tamerind juice (optional)
1 red chilli
2 to 3 tablespoons of ABC brand sambal chilli paste

Method:
1) Heat up wok with 2 tablespoon of oil, fry big onion till fragrant, add sambal paste and stir fry for 5 minutes.
2)  Pour in prawns and lime leaves and fry till cooked. Add in tamerind water, fry for few seconds. Dish up on a serving plate.
3)  Serve with plain rice. Enjoy.


Petai:
Parkia speciosa (bitter bean, twisted cluster bean, or stink bean) is a plant of the genus Parkia in the family Fabaceae. It bears long, flat edible beans with bright green seeds the size and shape of plump almonds which have a rather peculiar smell, characterised by some as being similar to natural gas.

For more information click here.

Stir-Fried Assam Prawns-干炒亚叁虾

Recipe adapted from Hawker Secret Recipes

Ingredients:
300g medium prawns
5o g tamarind paste (assam paste)
100 ml water
1 teaspoon chopped garlic

Seasoning:
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger juice
1 teaspoon "Shaoxing" wine (Chinese cooking wine)

Method:

~1) Rinse the prawns and drain well, parboil in the hot oil for a while. Remove and drain well, leave aside.

~2) Mix tamarind paste with water, squeeze and reserve the tamarind water.

~3) Heat up 1 tablespoon oil, saute garlic until fragrant, add in tamarind water and seasoning, bring to boil. Add prawns, stirring constantly at high heat until the sauce is absorbed or slightly dried. Dish up and serve.

Crispy prawns with salted egg yolk

This is the best dish to accompany icy-cool beer. The prawns are so crispy even the shells can be eaten completely.The salted egg yolks mixed with milk give the creamy and salty bite. The curry leaves and chillies enhance the flavour and fragrance of the dish. They are really a perfect combination to the dish.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

~ 500 g big prawns (angkah )

~ 2 nos salted egg yolks (steamed)

~ 8 bird's eye chillies (flatten)

~ 2 - 3 twigs curry leaf

~ 2 tablespoon butter/margarine/cooking oil

~ 2 tablespoon Evaporated milk

~ 1 egg

~ some tapioca flour

Seasoning: 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

~ 1) Devein, wash the prawn and drained.

~ 2) Marinate with 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce; tablespoon1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 light soy sauce for 10 minutes.

~3) Dip the prawns with beaten egg, then coat with tapioca flour. Deep- fry into hot oil until cooked and golden brown. Dish out.

~4) Melt the margarine to saute the curry leaves and bird's eye chillies over low heat until fragrant. Add in salted egg yolks, milk and seasoning. Stir well.

~5)Pour in prawns, stir constantly until aromatic or the gravy is thicken. Serve hot.