Foreigners tend to ask how Christmas is celebrated in Malaysia and it’s rather surprising but only because like others, Malaysians have trees, Christmas lights, food and drinks.
The locals delight in the merriment of friends and family coming together. So, it’s not that different from anywhere else in the world.
What is however a little different is that you’ll find a mish-mash of dishes at every house.
Some may serve a classic Nyonya family dish passed on through generations, others may choose to hero a prized turkey recipe that they make every year.
Whatever it is, the tables are laden with what can only be described as a never-ending buffet of deliciousness and everyone eats to their heart’s content.
When you finally get to a house which is known for their curries, there might be a trademark vindaloo or mutton curry.
But one of the most special dishes at these tables is the glorious prawn curry. Every family has their own take on the recipe, this is The Orange Sieve’s.
Flavours and pairings
Spicy, peppery and delightfully more-ish, this prawn dish is best served with appam for a finger-licking treat, or even with idiyappam (putu mayam).
It ages well overnight when the prawn flavour really kicks in, so for the morning after, try dunking in with a freshly toasted slice of white bread.
Ingredients
To cook:
- 500g prawns (keep the tail shell on, remove the heads and set aside)
- 1 pandan leaf
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 medium red onion, finely sliced
- ½ 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 teaspoons chilli powder
- 150 ml coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
To blend:
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
- 2 small tomatoes
To roast and grind:
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated coconut
- 1 dried chilli
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Method
- In a small pan, roast the grated coconut, pepper, dried chilli, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fennel seeds on a low heat.
- Keep stirring until the coconut begins to brown and the spices are toasted. Remove from the heat, grind everything together in a fine blender, then set aside.
- Separately, blend the ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Add water if needed to achieve a smooth consistency, set aside.
- Blend the tomatoes to a fine paste, then set aside.
- In a wide pan or wok, heat 3 tablespoons of oil on a medium fire. When the oil is hot, add the onions, curry leaves and pandan leaf.
- Cook gently until the onions become translucent and lightly caramelised (three to five minutes).
- Add the ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, ground spices, turmeric powder and chilli powder to the pan.
- Stir everything together well, then add prawn (heads only) and 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Add 1 ½ cups of water, stir through and allow to simmer gently on a low heat until the curry thickens (15-20 minutes).
- Then add the coconut milk and stir through well. Add lime juice, then taste and adjust for salt or lime as needed.
- Finally, add the prawns to the pan and stir through gently.
- Allow the prawns to cook on a low fire until they’re lovely and pink but still retain some bounce (three to five minutes). Serve immediately.
@theorangesieve serves up recipes from the heart, inspired by travels near and far. It’s all about food that humbly invites you to discover the truth about flavour, that is: the people, the culture and the stories behind them. The kind of food that leaves you with a smile for reasons you can’t quite put your finger on.