Sambal Prawns

Its been a while since i last had this dish. I was craving for something spicy and sourish ,so i decided to cook this particular dish. So off to the market i went . i bought some medium-sized fresh prawns along with other stuff from the wet market.

This dish is good to go with Nasi Lemak, especially when the gravy is thicker and spicier. Yummy.. just by describing it makes me wanna have some of that spicy prawns with Nasi Lemak!

INGREDIENTS
* garlic
* shallots
* sugar
* salt
* chili paste
* sliced onions
* tamarind juice
* pepper
* chicken broth
* shrimp paste (Belacan)
* prawns ( deveined and shelled, leavin tail intact)

Method:
1) Season the prawns with sugar, salt and pepper, leave it aside for an hour or so.
2) Heat oil in wok and stir fry till prawns turn pink, set aside for later use.
3) Pound/blend shallots and garlic and stir-fry it until fragrant.
4) Add in the chilli paste and stir further.
5) Add in some sugar and stir until it dissolved and add in the shrimp paste and let it simmer for a while before adding the tamarind juice.
6) Stir until it has perfectly combined before adding in the sliced onions to the wok/non-stick and stir until onions has soften.
7) Add chicken broth and let it simmer. Season with salt and sugar.
8) When the gravy is almost done, stir in the prawns and let it simmer for a short while before serving.

Roasted shrimp paste is recommended for this dish. The roasted version of shrimp paste is more flavorful than the non-roasted ones. You can also replace this with shrimp paste powder if the roasted piece of paste isn't available.

For those who love a more sourish note to this dish, feel free to adjust the amount of tamarind juice used. You can also omit the sliced onions if you're not a big onion fan. But the sliced onions in this dish sure give it the perfect kick. The whole combination's like a match- made in heaven!