Dry Sambal Prawns

Ingredients :

300 gm white fresh sea prawns (large)

8 dried chillies (seeded for a mild flavour)

10 shallots

5 pips garlic

1 inch piece of fresh tumeric (about the size of your distal phalange of middle finger)

1 lemon grass

1 inch piece of belachan

Some limau purut/kaffir lime leaves (shredded or tore up)

Assam jawa (about 1 teaspoon), mixed with some water, a few tablespoon will do
Salt and sugar to taste

I usually buy large prawns as they are easier to work with.

Trim off the heads and sharp tail. It is so much easier to work with a pair of sharp scissors.

I would cut and slit down the back, to remove the intestines. This would also help the flavour of the ingredients to permeate into the prawn better. The slit down the back makes it easier to shell the prawns when you eat them. I do not shell the prawns to retain the sweet taste of the prawn. You could remove them if that is how you like it. And trim off legs (or swimmerets) if they seem untidy.

Method :

1. Grind the chillies, shallots, garlic, tumeric, lemon grass and belachan together.
2. Fry the ingredients in oil till fragrant.
3. Add prawns, fry in curry paste for a few minutes.
4. Add the kaffir lime leaves.
5. Add assam jawa juice, not too much if you like it dry.
6. Add sugar and salt to taste.
7. Simmer till prawns are cooked and sauce reduced.

 

Try it for yourself. Need I say more?