Prawn in Lemongrass Gravy

total time:: 1 hr

Feeds 6-8

“Nonya Flavours”, covering Penang nonya recipes. Called “Sambal Serai Prawn”, the prawns are cooked in lemongrass-flavoured coconut milk and topped off with cashews.

ingredients

150g cashews
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cut red chilli.
4 stalks lemon grass (serai)
2 teaspoons of belacan (toasted and gently pounded)
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
200 ml thin coconut milk (or dilute 100ml thick coconut milk with equal amount of water, roughly)
350g prawns
100 ml thick coconut milk

directions

1
1. Toast cashews till golden brown.
2
2. Fry the garlic in oil, remove when golden brown. In the same oil, cook shallots till brown. Remove and set aside.
3
3. Chop lemon grass and pound till fine. Add belacan. Fry the lemongrass and belacan till fragrant in the garlic/onion oil.
4
4. Stir tamarind paste into warm water. Strain the tamarind juice and add to about 200ml of thin coconut milk. Add to the lemongrass/belacan.
5
5. Cook the prawns. When almost done (do not overcook) add 100ml of thick coconut milk, half the garlic and shallots, and half the cashews. Stir quickly together and dish out once prawns are done.
6
6. Garnish with remaining garlic, shallots, cashews, and 1 cut red chilli.