Crunchy Fried Shrimp with Tamarind Sauce

Evolution of creating food is very interesting; in the past the process moved slowly and since we have had technology (communication) like TV and internet that bring more people be able to access the source easily and in a mass. There are lots of cooking shows on TV and internet like Youtube that are interesting. I like to watch cooking shows, especially Iron Chef Thailand (and sometimes with Iron Chef America), to see diffident and new techniques for cooking for example: they use a torch to blaze only the surface of the food to create slightly burning flavour, or use a vacuum chamber machine for sous-vide or slow cooking in low and control temperature, another interesting is some chefs use liquid nitrogen for cooking, for this method there is still a safety issue – not for households use yet. For me it is more like a circus on TV show, its fun and exciting.

Cooking or creating food is absolutely the kind of art. Good flavour food is from the right ingredients and right amount of the ingredients and that your taste buds send that message to your brain to your body to produce happiness hormone and you satisfy with what you put into your mouth. Nowadays a good flavour food seems not enough and it is better if it looks good too. I really enjoy watching the chefs doing nice displaying their food; it is really a piece of art on the plate.

This recipe I got from Iron Chef Thailand and I added some more ingredients in it for example they don’t have bread crumbs and ground chilli. Original this recipe modified from Khai Luuk Koei or Son-in-law’s eggs. Khai Luuk Koei is, a common street vendor food, made from fried hard boiled eggs and pour on the tamarind sauce and garnish with crispy shallot.

Shrimp with Tamarind Sauce, the shrimp in this image is without bread crumbs.

  

Ingredients

1 lb.                 Peeled shrimp

Shallots - slice thin.

2                      Eggs, beat.

Flour

Bread crumbs

2 - 3                 Shallots, slice thin.

1 – 2 tsp          Cilantro, chopped

Vegetable oil (for deep frying)

Tamarind Sauce

50 g.               Tamarind (200g package tamarind cake is available at Asian grocery stores)

1 cup              Water

1 cake             Palm sugar

5 tbsp              Fish sauce ( can be 5 and a half tbsp)

½ tsp               Ground chilli (adjustable)

Instruction

Tamarind liquid

1. Soak tamarind in water, break and knead tamarind with hand until water becomes thick liquid, discard seeds and pods.
2. Bring tamarind liquid (about ¾ cup) on medium high heat to boil with palm sugar until palm sugar dissolved, add fish sauce until boiled and mix well.
3. Remove from heat and add ground chilli and mix well. Put aside.
4. Beat eggs in a bowl and until frothy. Rise shrimp and dry it on paper towels. Dredge shrimp in flour, shake off excess. Dip shrimp into eggs, then press shrimp into bread crumbs; turn shrimp over and press into bread crumbs again to coat both sides.
5. Fry shrimp in hot oil until golden and drain oil on paper towels. Fry shallots in hot oil (after shrimp) until golden and drain on paper. Place and arrange fried shrimp on a plate pour the sauce on shrimp (or just serve shrimp with the tamarind sauce in a dipping bowl beside), garnish with cilantro and crispy shallot.