Juicy prawns marinated in a vibrant Malaysian asam paste of galangal, turmeric, torch ginger flower, lemongrass and chilli, then grilled until charred. They’re served with a crunchy stir-fry of jicama, cucumber and shiitake mushrooms with a hint of five-spice. Prawns are a lean source of protein, and jicama, mushrooms and brown rice add plenty of fibre.

Ingredients

Asam paste (makes around 850g)

30g galangal
50g fresh ginger
30g fresh turmeric
30g torch ginger flower
40g garlic
180g red onion
100g red chillies (deseed some for a milder paste)
10g dried chillies, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
20g lemongrass
10g fermented shrimp paste (belacan)
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 tbsp (30g) rapeseed oil
20g fish sauce

Prawn skewers

320g raw peeled large prawns (around 20)
120g asam paste (from above)
½ tsp ground coriander

Stir-fried vegetables

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
60g onion, diced
20g garlic, diced
100g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
200g jicama, peeled and cut into strips
150g cucumber, cut into strips
2 tsp reduced-salt soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
½ tsp Chinese five-spice

To serve

½ x 250g pouch cooked brown rice (or 50g dried brown rice)

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Needed kitchenware

A blender, a medium saucepan, a wok or large frying pan, a griddle pan or grill, and 4–6 skewers (soak wooden ones in water for 30 minutes).

Instructions

For the paste, blend all the ingredients except the oil and fish sauce with 300ml water until smooth.

Heat the oil in the saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the paste, stirring often, until thick, darker and fragrant (15 minutes). Stir in the fish sauce and leave to cool. Set aside 120g for this recipe and freeze the rest.

Mix the prawns with the asam paste and coriander, and leave to marinate for 15 minutes.

If using dried rice, cook it following the pack instructions (around 25–30 minutes).

Thread the prawns onto the skewers. Heat the griddle pan or grill to high and cook until charred and pink all the way through (2–3 minutes each side).

Meanwhile, heat the oil in the wok over a high heat. Stir-fry the onion and garlic for 1 minute, then the shiitake for 2 minutes. Add the jicama and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then the cucumber for 1 minute.

Add the soy sauce and five-spice and toss together.

Heat the rice pouch following the pack instructions, if using, and serve with the skewers and vegetables.

Oven method: Grill the skewers under a hot grill on a lined tray, turning once (5–6 minutes in total).

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Storage information

Freeze the cooked asam paste in 120g portions for up to 3 months, or keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week. The skewers and vegetables are best eaten fresh.

Tip

Lower carb: Skip the rice and add extra jicama or cucumber.

Cost-saving tips

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Abbi

Head Chef