Stir-Fried Spicy Prawns

in Red Curry Sauce

Recipe by Sheebe de Souza

Ingredients

For the crispy prawns
•    500 g large prawns, peeled and deveined, tails left on
•    1/2 cup rice flour, can be replaced with tapioca flour, cornflour or arrowroot flour
•    1/4 tsp salt
•    1/4 tsp white pepper
•    neutral oil, for frying

For the red curry sauce
•    2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
•    180 ml coconut milk
•    1.5 tbsp fish sauce
•    1.5 tbsp palm sugar/jaggery powder
•    5–6 kaffir lime leaves, very finely shredded
•    1/2 red bell pepper, cut into cubes
•    1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into cubes
•    1 large handful holy basil leaves
•    1 tbsp oil

For the garnish
•    crispy fried holy basil leaves
•    thinly-sliced fresh red chillies

Method

For the crispy prawns
Pat the prawns completely dry with kitchen paper.
Season lightly with salt and white pepper.
Toss the prawns in rice flour, ensuring they are lightly and evenly coated.
Shake off any excess flour.
Heat the oil and fry the prawns until crisp, lightly golden and just cooked through.
Remove and drain on a wire rack or kitchen paper.

For the red curry sauce
Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add the Thai red curry paste and fry for 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously, until fragrant.
Add the red and yellow bell peppers and stir-fry quickly for about 1 minute, tossing them through the curry paste until glossy but still slightly crisp.
Add half the coconut milk and stir well, cooking until the curry paste and coconut milk come together into a thick, glossy sauce.
Add the remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar/jaggery powder and finely shredded kaffir lime leaves.
Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce slightly and the flavours to develop.
Add the crispy prawns to the finished sauce.
Toss very briefly, just enough to coat the prawns while retaining as much of their crispness as possible.
Turn off the heat.
Add the fresh holy basil leaves and gently toss them through the hot sauce.
Garnish & serve Transfer the prawns to a serving platter.
Finish with crispy-fried holy basil leaves and thinly-sliced fresh red chillies.
Serve immediately while the prawns are still crisp and the sauce is hot and glossy.