Dinner tonight was sambal goreng udang, or Indonesian shrimp and snow peas cooked in coconut milk. And off to the side you will also notice some krupuk, which are tapioca crackers. These start out looking like hard plastic chips until they are dropped into oil; like magic they puff up and turn into puffy clouds of crispy deliciousness. Tonight was my first time cooking/eating them and I loved them!
The dish itself was prepared by:
1. Creating a bumbu (spice mix) of ground stalk of lemongrass, 3 candlenuts (I used an equal amount of almond slivers), 1 tsp grated galangal, 2 cloves garlic, 2 shallots, 3 chili peppers, and a pinch of shrimp paste.
2. This is then fried in oil for 2 minutes before adding the snow peas, which are fried for an additional 2 minutes.
3. The prawns are then added and fried briefly for 1 minute before adding the remaining ingredients, which are: 2 tsp tamarind water, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 tsp palm sugar, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for a few minutes more.
I loved this dish and I will certainly prepare it again, as it was flavorful without being too overpowering in the spice department. (Actually I love overpowering, but once in a while it's nice to take a break and to have options for less adventurous relatives.) I really enjoyed the additional textures that the krupuk brought to this dish, in particular.
Lunch today was such a disappointment because my first attempt at making durian cake was a complete failure. Not only did I use up my very limited frozen durian supplies, but I was left feeling very cheated out of a delicious dessert after smelling the delicious smell of cake baking in the oven for over an hour. Some people may be offended by the smell of durian, but I love it myself.
Comments
nice new spacious space! love the shag tiki cocktail. why am i turquoise? am i blue? ;)
Posted by: santos. | January 14, 2006 09:10 PM
This looks delicious, Jonny. I haven't thought of durian cakes but we durian lovers are really getting creative :). Don't be disheartened, try again next time. I get mine frozen too and in winter I place it at the balcony!
Posted by: OsloFoodie | January 15, 2006 03:47 AM
hi,
i like ur blog!the "sambal goreng udang" looks delicious!but i prefer it to be "hotter" as in more fiery red hot chillies!hehe btw im malaysian:)
Posted by: yzzi | January 15, 2006 08:00 AM
Santos: you are probably still ube color after making those Mont Pinatubos, but I may you turquoise just for fun.
Oslo: I love the image of frozen durian sitting outside an Oslo balcony, teehe. Well hopefully I'll have better luck next time... I only have one half left!
Yzzi: yeah, I bet this would be real tasty with some more fire in it. I agree. Yes, I assumed you are Malaysian from your comment!
Posted by: Evil Jonny | January 15, 2006 02:42 PM
Ohmigod, such a lovely Extreme Blog Makeover!
Posted by: homer | January 15, 2006 06:44 PM
Ohmigosh. You love the smell of durian. That's just not right. Sorry you used up your stash, though. You can have all of mine.
Posted by: venitha | January 16, 2006 04:35 AM
Homer: And no creepy contractor with spiked hair or sappy feel-good endings, too!
Venitha: Gimme-gimme-gimme all your durians, I love it!
Posted by: Evil Jonny | January 16, 2006 09:43 AM
Love prawns!This looks so yummy.
Tapioca crackers?Are they what we call "prawn crackers" in the UK(or "kakimochi" in Japan)?They all look identical...
Posted by: KT | January 17, 2006 09:52 AM
KT: Hmmmm, not sure if it's the same because this starts out as a flat chip and turns fluffy after being dropped briefly in oil. Also, there's no prawn taste... in fact these krupuk are garlic flavored. Looks the same though, doesn't it?
Posted by: Evil Jonny | January 17, 2006 09:41 PM
Oh, krupuks and kripiks... they are staples in Indonesian homes. There is always at least one type of krupuk in a big canister at my parents home. Two or three types most of the time.
We pair them with our dishes:
- Prawn, garlic krupuks and emping (blinjo-nut crackers) go well with fried rice, or with gado-gado, with porridge, with most Indonesian dishes actually. These crackers are the most common accompaniment to our meals, besides our various sambals, which are also paired with the dishes.
- Fish krupuks go well with many dishes as well. These can also be eaten as snack, dipped in sambal terasi!
- Yellow noodle krupuks with asinan (mixed vegetables/fruit pickles)
- Gendar (pounded-rice krupuk) with rawon
- Rengginang (more substantial than Rice Krispies, in disc shape), as snack
- Krupuk kulit, krecek (the inner layer of cowhide) made into sambal goreng krecek, or eaten with petis
- Rempeyek, with its variation of toppings: peanuts, soybeans, green beans, whitebait. Rempeyek is also commonly eaten with rice and dishes.
- Kripik (chips) made of anything that can be sliced thin and fried till super crisp: tofu, tempeh, cassava, spinach, ox lung
- Crispy fried wontons with noodle dishes. ok, this one may be too far, but it is still the same concept of having crispy things in your meal. I like to dip them in the hot noodle soup.
Those are what came to my mind as of now.
Posted by: Mdm Krupuk | August 13, 2008 09:46 PM