Burmese Curried Prawns Recipes

PRAWN CURRY: BAZUN HIN

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large casserole dish or wok set over a mediumhigh heat. Add the chopped onions and cook slowly, turning down the heat to low-medium, and stirring every 4-5 minutes until softened and starting to colour lightly and become oily - this will take at least 15 minutes (see cooking onions, page 102). While the onions are cooking, crush the garlic cloves and ginger to a paste using a pestle and mortar, or blitz in a food processor. Once the onions are ready, add the crushed garlic, ginger and coriander stalks and fry for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the spices and creamed coconut, breaking it up into smaller pieces as you stir. It should melt in. Finally, add the fish sauce and the prawns and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the prawns are cooked through. Serve hot on steamed rice and garnish with coriander leaves. Storage notes: We don't find the prawns reheat very well once cooked in the curry, but you could cook the sauce up until adding the prawns, then store in the fridge for up to 4 days, then just reheat and continue from adding the prawns. Cooks note: Sometimes we use whole, shell-on prawns which look visually appealing and will make the curry more flavourful (we like to suck the heads!). Just increase the total weight to 800g-1kg to allow for the heads and shells.

BURMESE CURRIED PRAWNS

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet or wok. Add onion, garlic and ginger and stir-fry until lightly browned. Add tomatoes, curry powder, garam masala, tamarind powder or paste, turmeric and paprika. Cook over medium heat till tomatoes begin to soften; stir in shrimp, peppers, fish sauce and 2 tablespoons cilantro.
• Increase heat slightly and stir-fry shrimp about 3 minutes, until they turn opaque. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until shrimp are cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes depending on size. If sauce is too thick, add 2 or 3 tablespoons water.
• When shrimp are done, transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of cilantro.