This is one of my favorite recipes and I make it interchangeably with prawns and crab. At home we cannot resist using our hands to dip the bread into the most delicious messes – the rich creamy chili sauce.
The al fresco restaurants in Malaysia dish out chili prawns right from the blazing wok. Chili prawns is one of Malaysia’s national dish, filled with layers of flavor using ingredients from the cupboards of Chinese, Indian and Malay cultures. The sauce in which the prawns are cooked includes ginger, garlic, curry leaves, tomato sauce, a small amount of fresh chilies and deliciously thicken eggs and sesame seeds at the end to give body to the dish. Chili prawns is traditionally served with Chinese-style steamed buns, but a French baguette, is also fantastic substitute for dipping in the sauce.
Ingredients
¼ cup store bought bottled chili sauce
¼ cup tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
5 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
3 – 4 red chili, finely chopped
3 sprigs of curry leaves or half cup curry leaves
1 pound Tiger prawns, cleaned and shelled
½ cup low sodium quality chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1. Begin by combining chili sauce, tomato sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat a wok or a large deep skillet over medium heat for 40 seconds. Add the oil around the perimeter of the wok so that it coats the sides and bottom. When the surface shimmers slightly, add the garlic, ginger, chilies and curry leaves stir-fry until fragrant and the garlic is golden in color, about 5 minutes.
3. Add in the sauce mixture into the wok and mix well. Allow the sauce to simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Add the prawns into the wok, and stir-fry on high heat, pressing the prawns against the hot wok. Pour in the chicken broth, mix well and allow the prawns to cook in the chicken broth for 2 minutes over high heat.
5. Add the cornstarch mixture and lightly beaten egg. Stir-fry for another 1 minute until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
