Description
A treasured secret family recipe, recreated with love by the next generation. This fiery and vibrant prawn sambal is a delicious celebration of a Malaysian grandmother.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, roughly chopped
- 2–5 Bird’s Eye chilies
- 1 tbsp belacan (fermented shrimp paste)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 500 grams (18 ounces) raw, peeled prawns (shrimp)
- 1/3 cup water, just boiled
- 3 tbsp tamarind concentrate
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
Instructions
1. Prepare the Spice Paste
- Chop and Blend: In a food processor, combine the onions, garlic, lemongrass, and Bird’s Eye chilies. Process until finely diced. Note: Use 2 chilies for mild-medium heat, 4 for hot, and 5 for extra hot.
2. Cook the Spice Paste
- Heat the Wok: Heat a wok over high heat until smoking.
- Add Oil and Paste: Add the vegetable oil, heat for a few seconds until shimmering, then add the processed spice mixture and belacan.
- Fry the Paste: Fry over medium heat, stirring continuously, until fragrant and the mixture starts to ‘split’ (about 3-5 minutes).
3. Add the Spices and Prawns
- Turmeric and Prawns: Add the ground turmeric and fry for another minute, stirring briskly. Then, add the prawns and the 1/3 cup of just boiled water.
- Stir to Combine: Stir to combine, ensuring the prawns are well coated with the spice mixture.
4. Season and Cook Through
- Add Seasonings: Add the tamarind concentrate, sugar, salt, and light soy sauce. Continue stirring until the prawns are pink and cooked through (about 3-5 minutes).
5. Serve
- Plate and Serve: Serve the Sambal Udang hot with steamed rice and fried Chinese vegetables.
Notes
- Belacan Substitute: If you cannot find belacan, you can substitute with a small amount of fish sauce or anchovy paste.
- Tamarind Concentrate: Available in Asian grocery stores; if unavailable, you can substitute with lemon juice mixed with a little sugar.
- Bird’s Eye Chilies: Adjust the amount to your heat preference.
- Wok Substitute: If you don’t have a wok, use a large frying pan.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stir Frying
- Cuisine: Malaysian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 200g
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 110mg