Vivian Pang Kitchen: Nyonya Prawns with Shallots Rice

I prepare this dish for my hubby on his Birthday. Since is special day I put little bit more effort serve Nyonya style prawns with shallot rice and sunny egg :)

From looking at the list I know the ingredients for sauces are quite long. Don't worry as all these sauces are very common and easily find in kitchen pantry. In Nyonya spice paste, salted bean paste (豆酱) is commonly used (Chinese influence). It really gives unique taste to this Nyonya prawns.

With the flavorful prawns it tastes great just with plain rice. Well since is for special occasion, shallots rice even better! Furthermore it is not that difficult to prepare. Let start with shallot rice first.

Shallot Rice (with rice cooker)
Ingredients:
(A)
3 cups rice, rinsed and drained (I used ordinary rice. Use Jasmine rice if you prefer)
1 pandan leave, knotted
½ teaspoon salt
3 ½ cups chicken stock
*refer type of cup for measure rice

1 cube chicken stock

(B)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
70g shallots

Methods:
1. Slice shallots thinly.
2. Place rice, pandan leave and salt inside rice cooker.
3. Heat up wok, add vegetable oil. Add shallots, fry for few minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Reserve about 1 tablespoon browned shallots and set aside for later used.
4. With the remaining browned shallots in wok, add in chicken stock and chicken stock cube. Simmer till chicken stock boiled. Turn off the heat and pour the hot chicken stock over the rice. Stir to mix. Start the rice cooker according to manufacturer's instructions. Once cooked and rested for 15 minutes, add in the reserved browned onion. Give the rice a stir to fluff up the rice before serving.

Rice is done! Now moving to main dish, Nyonya prawns.

Adapted and slightly modified from 快乐厨房

Nyonya Prawns
Ingredients:
(A)
350g medium size prawn
Some sweet peas

Palm sugar (gula Melaka) to taste
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice

About 100ml water

(B) Nyonya sauce
2 stalks lemongrass (serai)
20g garlic
½ tablespoon salted bean paste (豆酱)
½ tablespoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon chili paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon shrimp paste (belacan)
1 tablespoon chili sauce
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
1 tablespoon plum sauce

Methods:
~Preparations
1. Wash the prawns. Trim off tip of head and legs. Make a cut at the back, remove vein and pat dry with kitchen towel.
2. Thinly cut the white part of lemongrass. Remove skin of garlic. Add both into blender.
3. Making Nyonya sauce by adding the rest of sauce. Blend till smooth into fine paste.
*add little water when needed.

~Cooking
1. Blanch sweet peas and set aside.
2. Heat up wok, add in 2-3 tablespoons oil. Arrange prawns inside and pan and fry at high heat till change orangey. Dish out and set aside.
3. With the remaining oil in wok, pour in Nyonya sauce. Cook at medium heat till aromatic and chili oil begin to separate.
4. Add in palm sugar and stir till melt. Add in water and cook till come to boil. Season well with salt and lemon juice. Add more palm sugar if needed.
5. Add in cooked prawns and balanced sweet peas. Toss well and serve!