Aromatic Malaysian Prawn Sambal with Kaffir Lime

Name: Aromatic Malaysian Prawn Sambal with Kaffir Lime
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Main Course
Ingredients: 500g large prawns; 1 tbsp lime juice; Salt; 5 dried chilies; 3 fresh red chilies; 3 cloves garlic; 2 shallots; 1-inch piece ginger; 1 stalk lemongrass; 2 tbsp oil; 1 cup coconut milk; 4 kaffir lime leaves; 1 tbsp tamarind paste; 1 tbsp fish sauce; Fresh cilantro; Lime wedges

A Flavorful Southeast Asian Classic

This savory and spicy prawn sambal is a deliciously aromatic Malaysian dish, enhanced by the fresh notes of kaffir lime leaves.

1 h 30 min
4
Intermediate

Ingredients

For the Prawns

500g large prawns

peeled and deveined

1 tbsp lime juice

Salt

to taste

For the Sambal Paste

5 dried chilies

soaked

3 fresh red chilies

3 cloves garlic

2 shallots

1-inch piece ginger

1 stalk lemongrass

white part only

2 tbsp oil

For the Curry

1 cup coconut milk

4 kaffir lime leaves

thinly sliced

1 tbsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp fish sauce

For Garnishing

Fresh cilantro

for garnish

Lime wedges

Preparation

Marinating the Prawns

Combine prawns and marinade

In a bowl, combine prawns with lime juice and salt.

Marinate prawns

Let it marinate for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Drain prawns

Drain and set aside.

Preparing the Sambal Paste

Blend ingredients

Blend soaked dried chilies, fresh chilies, garlic, shallots, ginger, and lemongrass to a smooth paste.

Be cautious when blending chilies; steam may release spicy vapors.

Sauté paste

Heat oil in a pan and sauté the paste until fragrant.

Set aside

Set the sambal paste aside.

If sambal is too spicy, tone it down with a bit more coconut milk.

Cooking Process

Sauté sambal paste

Heat a pan and cook the sambal paste over medium heat until it turns dark red and aromatic.

Simmer curry

Add coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, tamarind paste, and fish sauce to the paste and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cook prawns

Add the prawns to the curry and simmer until they are just cooked through.

Plating & Serving