Ingredients for 4 pax:
• 500gm Fresh Sea Prawns (medium to large size)
• 6 tbsp Thick Tamarind Juice (120gm Tamarind paste mix with 6-7 tbsp water)
• 1 ¼ tsp Salt
• 4 tbsp Sugar
• 1 ½ cup Cooking Oil
Preparations
Prawns:
• Remove necessary parts such as tips of the head, legs, tail & vein.
• Wash drained & put aside.
Asam Jawa Paste:
• Rinse tamarind paste over running water.
• Mix tamarind paste with water till it give out thick juice.
• Pour into a strainer over a bowl to collect the cleaned juice.
*can also use ready-made tamarind juice.
Marinating:
• Pour tamarind juice into a mixing bowl.
• Add in sugar & mix till sugar dissolved.
• Taste the tamarind juice before adding salt as sometimes salt are added during processing at factory (add salt as required).
• Mix well then add prawns into the bowl & gently mix till prawns are well coated with tamarind.
• Cling wrapped & rest for at least 15 mins ( can also refrigerate overnight for marinating).
Frying the prawns:
• Heat up oil with medium heat till hot in a wok or pan.
• Gradually place all the prawns into the work.
• Gently flip the prawns off & on till both side are almost 80% cook for about 4-5 mins.
• Off fire & remove the prawns into a plate.
• Remove about 60% oil & then slowly pour in the balance tamarind juice.
• Start fire with low heat and keep on stirring to avoid the tamarind sauce being burn until it becomes thicker.
• Lastly add in the prawns again into the wok, gently give several turnings till all are coated with the tamarind sauce.
• Off fire & remove prawns, garnish and ready to serve.