TUMERIC 'N TAMARIND PRAWNS

The Star, a national newspaper, has in its supplement Startwo a two page spread on the first Monday of every month called 'Don't Call Me Chef'. They feature recipes based on a theme. 

Starting September they intend to feature a food blogger each month as well. I felt quite pleased and very honoured when Ivy, the column's writer and editor of Youth, asked if I would like to be the first food blogger to be featured and to contribute a recipe. Ivy also has a food blog called The Hungry Caterpillar.

My contribution to this column would give the link to my blog as well as appear on kuali.com on Star Online on the same day, that is today 6th September 2010.

We met and I was asked a few expected questions. I spent a few minutes recounting my little blog story. Then I sat back and, somewhat apprehensively (it being my first ever interview), looked forward to seeing it in print. I think. 

I saw the article this morning. Eagerly. The title made me gasp a little. And then I just had to smile. In an age of information technology, space exploration and medical advancement I was under the impression that 50 is the new young. Or so I thought. Indeed I hope I will never be too old for anything.

To view the article please click here.

This is my contribution to 'Don't Call Me Chef's' theme of Ramadan for September - Tumeric and Tamarind Prawns, a simple, quick and delicious dish. 

Who knows, You might be the next Malaysian food blogger to be featured. Sit tight, be good and you might get that email and the opportunity to tell your own little blog story.

This is a simple dish of prawns fried in tumeric with a squeeze of tamarind juice for that added dimension of  sourness, scattered with limp sauteed rings of sliced onions and chillies for some extra bite. 

This is a dish that was often prepared at home when I was a child. It is earthy, simple, light on the stomach with a slight tang from the tamarind and kept everyone busy because the shelled prawns needed to be peeled before you ate them. Unless, like me, you ate them shell and all. 

Like any respectable cook would tell you..... "Use the freshest prawns and you will get the sweetest and crunchiest dish".

The recipe ~

12-15 medium prawns, cleaned leaving shells intact

1 tsp tumeric powder

salt to taste

2 cloves garlic

1 large yellow onion, sliced in rings 

1 large chillie, sliced diagonally

1 tsp tamarind pulp mixed with 1/4 cup water and juice and strained

cooking oil

Chopped coriander leaves and stalks for garnish

Sprinkle tumeric powder and salt over prawns and using your hands rub the mixture evenly over the prawns so that they are well and evenly covered.

Heat enough oil in a shallow pan to cover the surface. When hot throw in the prawns a small batch at a time and fry the prawns until the colour changes, when they turn pink and crispy. It should not take longer than 2-3 minutes. Do the same with the rest of the prawns. Drain and leave aside.

Throw away excess oil from the pan leaving about a tablespoon in. Warm up the oil if necessary and saute the crushed garlic and onion rings until soft and fragrant. Then add the juice of the tamarind pulp. Stir until the sauce bubbles. Throw the fried prawns back in followed by the sliced red chillies. The sauce should just coat the prawns lightly. Adjust for seasoning and for the subtle balance of sourness. 

Serve with piping hot white rice.

I am submitting this recipe to ~

hosted this time around by House of Annie the idea of which was created by Sharon of Test With Skewer and 3 Hungry Tummies.