Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
2 lbs shrimp, headless
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot chili sauce
6 ounces tamarind pulp
3 ounces young ginger root
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon blachan
2 small red onions
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon dark soya sauce
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce
3 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup brown sugar, Packed
Directions:
MARINATING: Break tamarind apart, place in a small saucepan with water.
Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or until pasty coating separates from seeds.
Press through a sieve or food mill to extract all pulp and soupy liquid.
Discard seeds.
Rinse shrimps thoroughly, pat dry and marinate fro 1 hour with 1 tablespoon of this tamarind liquid, the oyster sauce and hot chili sauce.
COOKING: Meanwhile, cut young ginger into toothpick-sized slivers.
If using mature ginger, peel and sliver.
Peel and sliver garlic.
Place blachan in a non-stick pan and heat gently fro 3 to 4 minutes to develop the flavors.
Pell and cut red onions into wedges.
Combine oyster, soy and chili sauces with blachan; stir into remaining tamarind liquid.
Heat a large wok over high heat.
When a drop of water sizzles immediately into steam pour in 2 tablespoons of the oil.
Swirl up sides of wok, and when just at smoking point, dump in ginger and garlic.
Stir fry until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Adding more oil as needed, stir frey shrimp in batches until orange red, about 3 minutes.
Pour sauces over all the shrimp in the wok and cook at a brisk bubble over high heat until shrimps are aromatic and sauces have reduced and thickened to enrobe the shells, about 8 minutes.
Mix in sugar and onion wedges, taste to adjust seasoning, sweetening and spiciness.
Servings: 6
Time preparation: 0 min.
Time total: 89 min.