Fried prawns in a tamarind sauce or tôm rang me is a popular dish especially for those living on the coast. The fresh prawns are fried and then tossed in a sweet and sour sauce made from tamarind to offset the greasiness of the oil. This humble dish is finger licking good.

This recipe is rated easy and takes 30-45 minutes to create.

Ingredients:

10 giant prawns

1 block of fresh tamarind

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1 teaspoon of ground annatto

1 teaspoon of sesame oil

1 teaspoon of fish sauce

2 cups and 1 tablespoon of water

5 tablespoons of sugar

½ teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Garnish with spring onions and Cilantro

Directions:

Sprinkle ½ a teaspoon of salt on top of the shrimps. Mix to incorporate the salt among the shrimps. This process will help remove excess moisture from the prawns.

Break the tamarind block into smaller chunks. Soak the tamarind block with 2 cups of water for approximately 15 minutes or until the tamarind chunks have soften and broken apart.

This is what the tamarind mixture looks like after it has been soaked in water for a period of time.

Using the back of a spoon and a strainer,press the tamarind block and liquid through a strainer.

Heat a heavy pot with enough oil to submerge the prawns

Add the prawns but do not crowd the pan. Make sure the prawns is dried otherwise the oil will splatter. The prawns will cook in approximately 5 minutes.

Remove from the oil and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

In a bowl, add 5 tablespoons of tamarind sauce, 5 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, ½ teaspoon of ground pepper, 1 teaspoon of ground annatto and a pinch of salt. Stir well to incorporate the ingredients.