Monday, August 20, 2007

Nonya Assam Heh (Nyonya Tamarind Prawns)



One of the Penang Nyonya dishes is Assam Heh or Tamarind Prawns. I first learned about this dish from my mom. My mom was from Alor Star, Kedah and thus a lot of her cooking has been influenced by the Nyonya in Penang. I guess any dish that tasted good would be adapted in a family, and in this case my mom. It has became my favorite because of how delicious it is and how easy it is to cook. Tamarind is a common item used in a Malaysian household. And I would love to share with you this easy Tamarind Prawns recipe. The used of tamarind made this dish a Nyonya dish (incorporation of Malay ingredient into Chinese cuisine).



Ingredients: (for two)
15 large shrimps/prawns (with shells)

Marinade:
About 2-3 Tbsp. of tamarind pulps, soaked in 3/4 cup of warm water (use your fingers to squeeze the tamarind to mix in with the water).
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce

(B)
1 or 2 tsp. sugar (depending on how sweet you like you assam prawns)
Sprinkle of salt

*Marinate the shrimps with the above marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, I did mine for 5 hours.*

Method:
Heat wok with 2 Tbsp. of canola oil in high heat, when heated add in the prawns along with half of the marinade and fry until the sauce evaporated and stick to the prawns. Then, add (B), stir and serve.

20 comments:

Retno Prihadana said...

Hmmm...I love Prawns!.Looks delicious.

Anonymous said...

This is exactly what my mom cooked at home. So yummy .... now you make me crave to cook this.

Anonymous said...

I know this Assam Heh dish should be easy to do...I will try it with the tamarind ready-mix I have, since I used up the blocks liow!
Bet it's appetizing with rice :)

daphne said...

the juiciness of the prawns and sour notes will complement each other perfectly. They look very very good. This recipe will be saved and stored for me to use soon.. mmm...

Lia said...

i love prawns, and urs looks tempting, give me an idea for another sytle to cooks prawn, thanks :)

Home Cooking said...

wah never had this dish before. looks very tempting *drooling*

Little Corner of Mine said...

Thanks Retno! :)

Cooking Ninja,
Cook lah...cook lah, so easy only mah! :)

Tigerfish,
Just talked to Lily the other day and she actually use the tamarind ready-mix like the one you bought. She said it's very good, very sour, a little bit will do, don't have to use a lot.

Hi daphne,
Cool, the ingredients are easy to find, very easy to make and delicious, so post in your blog when you do make it okay. I wanna see.... :P

You're welcome Lia. If you love prawns, definitely give this recipe a try! :)

Isha, give it a try, very easy only! :)

East Meets West Kitchen said...

Hi C,
I cook a similiar dish with chicken breasts. Can't wait to try it with prawns now. :)

Blur Mommy said...

Looks yummy! Simple to make too! Now I know what to do with the tamarind that has been sitting in my fridge for a long time!! Thanks! : )

Anonymous said...

Wooo...good good, I'll start using it then. Thanks! :D

Little Corner of Mine said...

Hey V,
Do try this! I always suck the juice out of the shell and eat it. It's good!

You're welcome blur mommy. :) BTW, when's my cooking not easy? :P

No problem tigerfish. BUT, for this dish hor, I recommend you use the tamarind pulps so that you can suck the juice from the tamarind pulp while eating the shrimps leh.

Edith said...

wow ching me going soft over this dish leh. mmmm....yummmmmm yummmm

Little Corner of Mine said...

Edith, no need to think, just cook this for dinner. Quick and easy!

WokandSpoon said...

Oo, my mum made this for me when I was on holiday! Love them! Your dish looks really mouthwatering!

Rasa Malaysia said...

Yes, it is true that Kedah cooking is similar to Penang Nyonya cooking, plus we speak Hokkien with the same accent. This dish is a must-have in almost every Penang home. Classic! :)

Little Corner of Mine said...

Hi RM,
Thanks for stopping by. I love this Assam Heh, so simple to cook too!

Kolkata said...

wow very nice blog!

Shirley T said...

I love prawns! Will try this for dinner tonight and share the outcome soon :)

Shirley T said...

Thanks Little Corner of Mine!
It works great at my kitchen too, check out here: http://www.mywisewife.com/home-kitchen-recipe-nyonya-tamarind-shrimps-prawns-assam-heh.html

many thanks again.

Little Corner of Mine said...

You are welcome Shirley, glad you and your hubby liked it. :)