Name: Mummy Ping’s Sambal prawns & green beans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 500g green beans trimmed and halved on the diagonal; 1kg raw, shelled king prawns (defrost if frozen); 200ml vegetable oil; 100g tamarind paste or juice 3 limes, see tip below left; 2 tbsp chicken stock powder; 3 tbsp golden caster sugar; 20 small dried red chillies; 16 lemongrass stalks, tender parts only; 450g shallots roughly chopped; 50g candlenuts or macadamia nuts roughly chopped; 1 tsp shrimp paste; 4 tbsp vegetable oil

Mummy Ping’s Sambal prawns & green beans

500g green beans
trimmed and halved on the diagonal
1kg raw, shelled king prawns
(defrost if frozen)
200ml vegetable oil
100g tamarind paste
or juice 3 limes, see tip below left
2 tbsp chicken stock
powder
3 tbsp golden caster sugar

For the spice paste

20 small dried red chillies
16 lemongrass
stalks, tender parts only
450g shallots
roughly chopped
50g candlenuts or macadamia nuts
roughly chopped
1 tsp shrimp paste
4 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

step 1
First, make the spice paste. Soak the dried chillies in hot water for 20 mins until soft. Drain, then mix the chillies with the rest of the spice paste ingredients in a processor or blender to make an even, fine-textured paste.
step 2
Put a large pan of water on to boil, then drop in the green beans and cook for 3 mins. Lift the beans from the water, cool under cold running water, then drain. Using the same pan of water, cook the prawns for 1-2 mins, until they have just turned pink, then run these under cold water too.
step 3
Heat the oil a large wok or frying pan and fry the spice paste over a medium heat for 8-10 mins. Stir in the tamarind paste, chicken stock powder and sugar, and cook for 2 mins. Add the prawns, green beans and 4 tbsp water, and cook for 4-5 mins more until the prawns are completely cooked through and the beans are just tender. Serve immediately with the Pandan steamed rice (see 'Goes well with').