There’s just something about the combination of sambal, prawn and petai that brings just about any meal to life. Plus, it’s such a flexible dish that sambal udang petai, as it is commonly called in Malaysia, is easily served with nasi lemak or plain old rice, and finds itself comfortable in all sorts of cuisines including Malay, Chinese, Eurasian and Nyonya. Pungent, spicy and seafoody, this dish unashamedly assaults your senses, and even those who are not fans of stink beans enjoy tucking into the prawns and sambal.
Making spicy prawns and petai requires a bit of prep and cook time, but it does come together quite easily. It’s a dish that is commonly made at home and can easily be found in restaurants throughout the country. If you’ve never made it for yourself before, try our recipe below, and be prepared to impress your wife, husband, parents, in-laws, friends, family, and even yourself!
Ingredients
- 205g petai (also known as stink beans or bitter beans), peeled
- 565g prawns, peeled with the tail left on
- 115g large red onions, peeled
- 172g small onions, peeled
- 33g garlic, peeled
- 22g lemongrass, (about 2 sticks) bottoms only
- 12g ginger, peeled
- 7g galangal, peeled
- 1g kaffir lime leaf (about 1 leaf)
- 5g belacan
- 80g tamarind paste
- 76g coconut sugar (gula Melaka), grated
- 150g cili boh paste
- 3g salt
- 0.3g ground black pepper (1/8 tsp)
- 235g water
- 90g cooking oil
Method
- Prepare your ingredients.
- Blend large and small onions, garlic, galangal, ginger and belacan until fine. If necessary, add a little bit of water to aid the blending process. Set aside.
- Heat cooking oil in a wok on high heat.
- With a mallet or knife, bash your lemongrass lightly and add it to the wok when the oil is sufficiently hot.
- After 30 seconds, add blended aromatic mixture to the wok. Stir occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Add cili boh paste and stir to fry for 2 minutes.
- Mix 85g water to tamarind paste and squeeze with your fingers to mix. Pour mixture into the wok through a sieve, squeezing out tamarind juices from the pulp. Stir to mix through.
- Next, add 150g water and grated coconut sugar. Stir thoroughly.
- Add kaffir lime leaf, pepper and salt. Stir to mix and continue stirring occasionally for about 10 to 12 minutes until the sambal has really cooked through. Don’t forget to scrape the sides and bottom of the wok to ensure the sambal doesn’t get burned.
- Add prawns and stir. Avoid overcooking the prawns. This step should only take 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add peeled petai. Stir through for only 1 minute.
- Your spicy prawn and petai is ready to be served! Serve with plain white rice or nasi lemak.
Extra tips
- You can also use completely peeled prawns if you like. However, avoid using prawns with the abdominal shell on as you want the flavours of the sambal and bitter beans to be absorbed into the prawn’s flesh.
- If any of your recipes (savoury or sweet) calls for coconut sugar, it’s a good idea to grate it first so it melts faster and evenly. Unless, of course, chunks of coconut sugar are required instead.
Sambal udang petai goes well with all sorts of local recipes. What will you be eating yours with today? Share your masterpiece with us by hashtagging #butterkicap!
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