Dynamite Prawns

This starter served at PF Chang’s is so popular that almost every table in the restaurant has this dish. I have tasted it a couple of times and it is one of my favourite starters. It is easy to make and is ready under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Prawns (peeled and deveined ) – 15-20

White Sesame Seeds – a few for garnish

Black Sesame Seeds – a few for garnish

Spring Onions – 1 sprig

For the batter:

Corn flour – 4 tbsp

All purpose flour – 1 tbsp

Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp

Garlic powder – less than 1/4 tsp (optional)

For the Sauce 1:

Mayonnaise – 1/4 cup

Sriracha or any hot sauce – 2 1/2 tsp

Tomato ketchup – 1 1/2 tsp

Honey – 1/2 tsp

White vinegar – 1/2 tsp

Sesame oil – 1/4 tsp

Sauce 2 (Alternative Sauce)

Alternatively, you can use Thousand Island sauce and Thai/Any Sweet chillie sauce insteadof mayonnaise, ketchup and honey. Personally, I prefer this sauce to the mayo one.

Thousand Island Sauce – 3 tbsp

Any Sweet Chillie Sauce – 2 tbsp

For the marinade :

Beaten Egg – 1

Soya sauce – 1/2 tsp

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Chillie powder – 1/4 tsp

Grated Garlic or garlic powder – 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

Wash and keep the prawns aside.

In a wide bowl, add the chillie powder, soya sauce, salt, beaten egg, garlic and whisk all of it. Add the prawns and make sure it is well coated.

In another bowl, add pepper powder, corn flour, all purpose flour and salt. Mix well and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add shrimps covered in the egg mixture, one by one to the cornflour bowl and coat it well. Make sure to dust off or shake off the excess flour and drop it into the hot oil. Deep fry on medium heat for about 1 minute pers side and cook the other side. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan. Remove immediately and drain on paper towels.

Toss the fried shrimps into the bowl with sauce and mix with a spoon. Garnish it with black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds and spring onions. Serve hot.

Tamilnadu Style Prawn Masala

A favourite sea food dish when accompanied by curd rice or rasam rice is pure bliss….It can also be served with rotis or chapathis. Some people add a pinch of garam masala powder at the end but I prefer to skip it.

Ingredients:

Deshelled and Deveined Prawns – 1/2 kg

Onions – 2 big

Potato – 1 big (optional)

Tomatoes – 2 medium

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Red chillie powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Chopped Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water – 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Finely chop onions, dice the potatoes and tomatoes. Keep it aside. Marinate the prawns with 1/4 tsp turmeric and a little salt and keep it aside for 10 – 15 minutes.

Heat a pan. Add oil. Add the finely chopped onions and saute till it becomes translucent. Then, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 4 minutes until the raw smell disappears. Next, add the curry leaves and the chopped tomato and saute till it becmes mushy. Add the chillie powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and saute it well, adding 2-3 tbsp of water in between. Add the potatoes, salt and saute it for a good 7 -8 minutes on low flame. When it is 3/4th cooked and all the water has been absorbed, add 1 tbsp of coriander leaves, followed by the prawns. You may add 1/4 cup of water and stir well. Keep it covered on a low flame until the prawns are cooked. This may take only about 5 -6 minutes. If the prawns are cooked for a long time, it will turn rubbery.

Remove from fire and garnish it with coriander leaves.