Fried prawns with an Asian chilli dip

I had a craving for deep fried food the other day. I had a late lunch, so I only got hungry at about 8, 9pm. So I wasn't really in the mood to go out and buy some fried chicken at the local kebab shop. So I fried some prawns instead :)

Deep fried prawns

I had some seasoned flour from home that I used for this dish. However, you can produce the same results by using cold water, self raising flour and salt and pepper to taste. Cold water (some use sparkling water) produces a crunchy batter. If you use sparkling water, the batter is even lighter. The recipe below is based on what I actually did.

To make the dip, I didn't really have a specific recipe, I just put in the sauce as I went along :) That really is the way I often cook.

The prawns with the dip

Fried prawns with an Asian chilli dip
(Serves 1-2 as a min)

Ingredients

250 grammes of raw prawns
Seasoned flour ( I added some chilli flakes for an extra kick)
1 egg white

For the dip
2 tablespoons of nam pla (fish sauce)
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of honey
2 tablespoons of soya sauce to taste

Method

• Dip the prawns in the egg white, and then coat with the seasoned flour. Deep fry in hot oil until cooked. Set aside
• Reuse 1 tablespoon from the oil that was used to cook the prawns. Heat the oil in a pan, and add the chopped chilli.
• Mix the other ingredients in a bowl until well combined, and pour into the pan. 
• Heat the sauce for 2-3 minutes, till slightly reduced.
• Serve with the prawns

Always try your sauce, and season accordingly. Bear in mind that the fish sauce can be quite salty, so you would want to go easy on the soya sauce. 

I didn't use coriander as I didn't have any, but serving the dip with some finely chopped coriander would bring the dip to the next level. The next time I cook this, I'd definitely add the coriander :)

When I was eating this, I had a big grin on my face. The crunch of the prawns really hit the spot. Yummss :D I was a happy girl indeed!