Spicy Prawns Cooked in Malaysian-Style Chili Sauce
Sizzlin' Chili Prawns: A Delicious Blend of Cultures
Fire up your outdoor dining experience with this Malaysian-inspired chili prawn dish, cooked right in front of you. Known as one of Malaysia's most scrumptious dishes, it boasts an explosive medley of flavors, drawing upon goods from the Chinese, Indian, and Malay kitchen pantries. To nail that authentic wok-cooked taste, we recommend using a wok for this recipe.
The mouthwatering sauce in which the prawns simmer is a symphony of flavors, featuring ginger, garlic, curry leaves, tomato ketchup, fresh chilies, and eggs and sesame seeds for a thick, velvety finish.
Chili prawns are traditionally served with Chinese-style steamed buns, but a French baguette makes for a terrific alternative. In my household, we can't help but dive into the sauce, resulting in a delightful mess. This delectable stir-fry can also be whipped up using crabs instead of prawns, as the star attraction is the luscious chili sauce.
If you're looking to switch things up with your starch, try our Coconut Rice or Cauliflower Rice sides. Carb-conscious or not, there's something for everyone!
- Serves: 4
- Difficulty: Beginner-friendly
- Prep + Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients (14)
- 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
- 5 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
- 3-4 red chilies, finely chopped
- ½ cup of curry leaves, or 3 sprigs of curry leaves
- 1 pound tiger prawns, shelled and deveined
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine sweet chili sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Heat the wok or large deep skillet over medium heat for 40 seconds. Coat the sides and bottom with peanut or canola oil. Once the surface glimmers slightly, add garlic, ginger, red chilies, and curry leaves, stir-frying until fragrant with garlic golden, approximately 5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the wok and mix well. Allow the sauce to simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the prawns to the wok and stir-fry on high heat for 30 seconds, pressing prawns against the hot wok for a caramelized crust. Pour in chicken broth, mix well, and cook for 2 minutes over high heat.
- Add the cornstarch mixture and egg into the wok, stir-frying until the sauce thickens for 1 minute. Remove from heat and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Did you know?
Malaysian chili prawns typically use dried red chilies or fresh green chilies, garlic, ginger, tomato sauce or ketchup, soy sauce, and a sambal chili paste for a fiery kick. Additionally, bell peppers or scallions are commonly added for extra flavor and color. The dish is often served with steamed jasmine rice.
- This Malaysian-inspired dish, named Sizzlin' Chili Prawns, contains an uncategorized blend of ingredients from Chinese, Indian, and Malay kitchen pantries.
- The sauce in which the prawns are delightfully simmered features ginger, garlic, curry leaves, tomato ketchup, fresh chilies, and eggs and sesame seeds for a thick, velvety finish.
- To make this recipe, one needs to gather 14 ingredients, including prawns, chili sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, peanut or canola oil, garlic, ginger, red chilies, curry leaves, chicken broth, cornstarch, an egg, and sesame seeds.
- This recipe cooks the prawns delightfully with a medley of flavors drawn from various cultures, and Malaysia is known for its uncategorized dishes like this one that are a treat for nutrition enthusiasts worldwide.
