Name: Sambal Udang (Sambal Prawn)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 400g prawn (De-shell and leave the tails); 1 1/2 tsp belacan powder (optional, I omitted); 15g tamarind pulp, resolve in 1/4 cup water; Salt and sugar to taste; 3 - 4 tbsp cooking oil; 1 cucumber, cut into your desired size; 5 red chillie; 5 dried chillie, soak in hot water for 30 minutes; 10 (100g) shallots; 2 cloves garlic; 5 lemongrass, white part only; 1 inch fresh turmeric

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I recreated my late mother's Sambal Udang. During my recent trip back to Penang, my brothers bought us to have dinner at a local restaurant in Butterworth. They serve a very delicious Sambal Udang and it reminded me of my late mother's cooking. The meal made me a little nostalgic and inspired to cook this.

Sambal Udang translates to "prawns in chili paste" in Malay. It is a traditional Malaysian dish where prawns are cooked in a rich, spicy, and flavorful sambal sauce made from a blend of chilies, aromatics, and sometimes tamarind for a tangy kick.

The dish is popular for its bold flavors, combining heat from chilies, umami from shrimp paste (belacan), sweetness from sugar, and tanginess from tamarind. It's often served with steamed rice, making it a satisfying and hearty meal.

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Recipe - Sambal Udang (Sambal Prawn)

INGREDIENTS:

400g prawn (De-shell and leave the tails)

1 1/2 tsp belacan powder (optional, I omitted)

15g tamarind pulp, resolve in 1/4 cup water

Salt and sugar to taste

3 - 4 tbsp cooking oil

1 cucumber, cut into your desired size

Spice Paste:

5 red chillie

5 dried chillie, soak in hot water for 30 minutes

10 (100g) shallots

2 cloves garlic

5 lemongrass, white part only

1 inch fresh turmeric

METHOD:

Blend all the spice paste ingredients in a food processor with few table spoon of water.
Heat oil in a large wok then fry blend herbs until fragrant and you can see the oil separate from the gravy.
Add in prawns and tamarind juice. Add more water and simmer to cook until gravy become slightly thick. You may add prawn at last if you do not want your prawn to cook so long.
Off the fire and stir in the cut cucumber.
Dish out and serve hot with steamed rice.