Recipe: Cucur Udang (Prawn Fritters) with Sweet Chilli Sauce

Cucur udang (prawn fritters)

A crunchy snack that will have you going in for more and more. The chilli dipping sauce is a delicious complement to the fritters, giving a kick of spicy and a sweetness that pairs perfectly with the delicate prawns. It’s a great dish to prepare as a starter for a dinner party, as they are so easy and fast to put together.

Ingredients:

Sweet Chilli Sauce:

2 large fresh red chillies (about the length of your hand), de-seeded

4 Bird’s Eye chillies, with seeds

2 medium cloves garlic

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup water

1tsp salt

Prawn Fritters:

60g wheat flour, sieved (you can use plain flour, however add more water as plain flour absorbs more)

12 small prawns, shelled and cleaned

30g fresh sweetcorn

20g shallots, thinly sliced

10g spring onions, green parts, cut into 2cm lengths

1/8tsp turmeric powder

1/2tsp salt

90ml cold water

Flavourless oil for deep frying

Prawn fritter ingredients

Shallots and spring onion

Method:

For the Sweet Chilli Sauce:

– place the chillies and garlic into a small blender and blitz until they begin to form a paste

– put the chillies and garlic into a small saucepan along with all remaining ingredients and bring to the boil

– simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes

– remove into a jar and allow to cool before serving

(makes 1/4 cup sauce . Store in the fridge – it will last a very long time)

Sweet chilli sauce

For the Prawn Fritters:

– combine flour, salt and turmeric in a mixing bowl and stir to combine

– add prawns, sweetcorn, shallots, bean sprouts and spring onions, then stir to coat in the flour and disperse evenly

– pour in the water and stir to form a batter

Prawn fritters batter

– heat oil over a low heat in a deep pan – to check if your oil is hot, either drop a little batter in to see if it bubbles and crisps up, or stick a chopstick down to the bottom of the pan and look for bubbles around the tip

– once your oil is hot enough, drop tbsps of the batter into the oil – try not to touch your spoon to the oil

– once your first batch of fritters have been spooned into the oil, increase the heat

Bubbling oil

– fry until the fritters begin to turn golden, then careful turn over and use a spoon to separate the individual fritter, which may have stuck together a little – do not play around with the fritters while they cook, however tempting! They will fall apart if you touch them too early

– once golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl lined with kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil

– serve with your sweet chilli sauce

Serves 2 as a snack or 3 as an appetiser.

*You could also add dried shrimp or anchovies for flavour

**For a vegetarian version, add shredded cabbage and carrots or small diced potatoes

Prawn fritters with sweet chilli dipping sauce

Prawn fritters with sweet chilli dipping sauce