Assam Spicy Shrimp
Submitted by jmontagu11854
Fiery Assam-style spicy shrimp wok-fried in tamarind, oyster sauce, ginger, and chili. A bold Malaysian shellfish dish with sweet-sour-spicy layers. Serve over rice.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
45 minREADY
90 minThis is not a polite shrimp dish. This is shrimp that bites back.
Rooted in the fiery cooking of Assam (Penang-style Malaysian cuisine), these shell-on shrimp get marinated in homemade tamarind liquid, oyster sauce, and chili, then blasted in a screaming hot wok with slivered ginger and garlic until the shells turn orange-red and the sauce reduces to a thick, sticky glaze.
The tamarind brings a sour pucker, brown sugar adds caramel sweetness, and the chili ties it all together with relentless heat.
Serve it over steamed rice and don’t be shy about eating with your hands.
Chef Tips
- Make the tamarind paste from scratch by simmering the pulp and pressing through a sieve; bottled tamarind paste works but has less depth
- Cook the shrimp in batches so they sear instead of steam; an overcrowded wok drops the temperature
- Leave the shells on during cooking for more flavor and a built-in finger-food experience
- Adjust the chili sauce and brown sugar at the end to dial in your personal sweet-sour-spicy balance
Ingredients
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. Makes plenty for 6 as a principal dish with rice, enough for 8 with other dishes.
Comments
