Hot and sour prawn curry originates from Indonesia. The heat comes from the chillies, and as I tend to go for medium curries rather than hot, I have used less than the recipe calls for. Add more if you like your curries hot. Tamarind and tomatoes add the sour notes to this dish. Plan ahead and make the sauce before your meal, and then simply bring it all together when you are ready to serve it.
Skip ahead to the recipe for Hot And Sour Prawn Curry
Sour Shopping
I have come to the conclusion that the people who design travel items do not travel. And if they do, they are not women! I needed to replace the backpack I take on the plane with me. My requirements are simple. It needs to have a decent pouch for my water bottle, one that is tall enough so the bottle does not fall out. The backpack also needs to be lightweight, as carry on luggage is weight restricted. And the one feature that would be ideal, is a band to slip the backpack over my suitcase handle. If it was the perfect item, it would also open up down the middle and not from the top. But, a girl can wish or change professions. I settled on something that is not ideal, but only because the one closest to all my needs also cost more than my suitcase!
Getting hotter
As I use my holiday handbag for work, I have decided to spoil myself with a new travel handbag. I like to get myself something for my birthday and this year, a new handbag is my priority. The hunt for this began in May, and I saw several bags that were nice, but not perfect. Again, probably designed by men! My needs for this are quite specific. There has to be two inner zips for passports and ‘girlie’ stuff. And a section for my wallet and cell phone. It also has to take my iPad which I use to read books on when we are away. The one thing I think is not optional is a place for me to put my pen and stylus. And, so far each of the gazillion bags I have looked at does not have a pen holder.
Take a look at this inspiring recipe for ♥ Hot And Sour Prawn Curry ♥ from Lavender and Lime #LavenderAndLime Share on X
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Hot And Sour Prawn Curry
Ingredients
for the prawns:
- 16 Queen prawns, shelled and deveined, leaving head and tail on
- 5 mls coarse salt
- 2.5 mls ground turmeric
- 1.25 mls cayenne pepper
for the sauce:
- water for boiling and water for cooling
- 240 g ripe rosa tomatoes
- 22.5 mls boiling water
- 5 g tamarind
- 22.5 mls canola oil
- 1 red onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 5 g ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 Jalapeño chilli, cut in half, seeded and thinly sliced
- 2.5 mls ground coriander
- salt to season
for the curry:
- 45 mls canola oil
Method
for the prawns:
- Place the prawns into a bowl, add the salt, turmeric and cayenne pepper and rub the spices in
- Set aside to marinate while you make the sauce
for the sauce:
- Bring a large pot of of water to the boil
- Cut a small cross into the bottom of each tomato, place into the boiling water and blanche until you can see the skin around the cross opening
- Remove from the boiling water, and place into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process
- When cool enough to handle, skin the tomatoes, chip them and set aside
- Take 22.5mls of the boiling water and place into a small bowl
- Add the tamarind and set aside
- Place the oil into a large frying pan and heat over a medium to high temperature
- Add the onions and sauté until soft
- Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook until fragrant
- Add the ground coriander and cook until fragrant
- Add the tomatoes, tamarind water and tamarind and stir to combine
- Add salt to season, reduce the temperature, cook for 5 minutes then set aside
for the curry:
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high temperature
- Cook the prawns in batches, for a minute a side, until they are all par cooked
- Place the sauce back onto the heat and increase the temperature
- Add the prawns and stir the sauce until the prawns are completely cooked
- Serve straight away
See the links below for blog posts I published on July 7:
- 2024: The Gathering
- 2021: June 2021 Showcasing In My Kitchen
- 2017: Melktert
- 2016: Cottage Pie
- 2014: Egg Nest Ravioli
- 2012: Food Quiz Number 75 For A Friday
- 2011: Sweet Chilli Sauce Duck
- 2010: Roast Chicken
Prawns in a curry are always welcome and there must be hundreds of ways to achieve a palatable result. Altho’ Indonesia is the closest SE Asian country to us here Down Under – I probably know the least about its cooking. Your recipe sounds very interesting as it omits the usual cumin and oft used paprika and garam masala and includes chilli and tamarind I have not had the chance to use as often . .. sounds most moreish 🙂 !
I love the flavour that tamarind adds to a dish. I am hoping to get some more Indonesian food experiences from a local place soon 🙂
I do like a bit of tamarind paste in my curries! and chillies :). I often say to hubby that it’s a damn shame most designers are men as they do not have any idea what women want and need!
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
never a truer word spoken!
I love prawn curries. This looks particularly flavoursome.
thanks Sheree 🙂
Well don’t get me started on male designers…..
Great recipe. Nice and spicy!
and really simple to bring together 🙂
Love seafood curry! Those prawns look so succulent.
thanks for the compliment 🙂
I’m not surprised there is no pen holder. No bag I’ve ever bought has had one. I assume people no longer write. What you say about men designing bags is probably true but young women would probably be just as bad. I realised during a meeting today that everything now is being designed by people on their 30s and 40s who have no concept of ever being old. The elderly are being excluded from life in many ways as a result. On line banking is just one example.
So true! My now work bag has two pen holders which is really helpful! I have settled for a bag without a pen holder, but it is perfect in every other sense 🙂
👌💛
This sounds so intriguing, Tandy! I love the hot-and-sour flavour combination, and prawns are always a favourite of mine.
Maybe you will make it?
Oh this makes me smile–I’m Malaysian and Udang Asam Pedas is one of our comfort dishes!
Yours looks so inviting, I can almost taste the sour tamarind and spicy kick. 😋
Thank you so much for commenting – that means a lot 🙂
This dish is practically vibrating with flavor! I can almost smell those amazing spices right through the screen.
I hope you try a vegan version of this 🙂
Looks like a delicious curry, and different to the usual ones with tamarind. I recently spent a lot of time searching for a travel handbag, wouldn’t meet all your requirements but I also wanted one with a safe shoulder strap that couldn’t be cut. Mine ended up working well and was comfortable to wear. Probably designed by a man though. Cheers, Pauline (Happy Retirees Kitchen)
which brand did you get? I am hoping my shoulder strap is also ‘cut proof’ 🙂
I love adding tamarind to seafood curries. It gives the curry a wonderful tangy flavor and a richer, darker color.
I am with you on that!