Recipe: prawns in rich coconut sauce by Sri Owen

Recipe from 'The Rice Book' by Sri Owen

(Image credit: Yuki Sugiura)

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Ingredients: for 6-8 people
Method

published 22 October 2023

Prawns in coconut sauce are popular all over Indonesia and Malaysia, said Sri Owen. Like beef rendang, it is one of those fundamental Southeast Asian dishes whose flavours, textures and colours all complement each other precisely. Naturally, the dish should be served with rice, and perhaps stir-fried vegetables or a salad.

Ingredients: for 6-8 people

Tip: in London, I make this with frozen king prawns from the supermarket that come peeled, de-veined and partly pre-cooked. This cuts out a lot of preparation, and the prawns are excellent provided they are thoroughly thawed before being quickly cooked, and not reheated thereafter.
Blend all the ingredients for the paste with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth.
Scrape the paste into a saucepan, bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Add the lemongrass, lime leaves and hot water, then bring back to the boil and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Now, add the tomatoes and creamed coconut, stirring to dissolve the coconut. Simmer and stir for 2 minutes, then taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. (This sauce can be made up to 24 hours in advance. It can be kept in the fridge, but can't be frozen.)
When you are ready to cook the prawns, bring the sauce to a rolling boil, give it all a good stir and put in the prawns. Simmer the prawns for 4 minutes only – any longer and they will become tough and tasteless. Discard the lemongrass and lime leaves, then serve immediately.