Recipe: Lara Lee’s sambal prawns with coconut and cashews

Recipe from A Splash of Soy: Everyday Food from Asia by Lara Lee

(Image credit: Louise Hagger)

published 2 May 2023

This Indonesian-inspired recipe shows you how to use a handful of kitchen staples to create a spectacular dish bursting with warmth and salty sweetness, says Lara Lee. Good-quality frozen prawns are one of the greatest emergency freezer-raid ingredients, but you can make it vegan by replacing them with slices of marinated firm tofu, patted dry and pan-fried until golden.

Ingredients: serves four

Toast the coconut in a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until golden. Transfer the coconut to a plate.
Wipe out the pan and heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the prawns in a single layer and cook for 1-2 minutes each side, or until they are just cooked through.
Remove and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Heat another tablespoon of oil in the wok or pan, still over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chillies and cook, stirring continuously, for 3-4 minutes, until the chillies have softened and are starting to wrinkle.
Add the green beans along with 1 tablespoon water, the kecap manis, sugar and salt. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, stirring regularly, until the green beans are just cooked through with a crunchy bite.
Stir in most of the toasted coconut and cashews, reserving a little of each for garnish, and return the prawns to the pan. Toss everything together.
Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the remaining coconut and cashews.