Prawn fritters (Cucur udang)

"The fritters are often served with either a chilli or peanut dipping sauce but my favourite is definitely Peanut sauce as its sweet-savoury flavour goes really well with the crispy prawns. These are so good on their own, but you will also find them in popular dishes like Malaysian-Indian salad or Mamak-style fried noodles."

Cucur udang (Prawn fritters) Credit: Georgia Gold

• makes

  12

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 300 g (2 cups) plain flour
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp instant dry yeast
• 1 tbsp air kapur (limestone water) (see Note; optional)
• 115 g kucai (Chinese chives), trimmed and snipped into 1.5 cm lengths
• 1 large red onion, finely sliced vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 12 large banana prawns, peeled and deveined, tails removed

Resting time: 30 minutes

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, turmeric, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the yeast, add 435 ml (1¾ cups) water and mix well. Stir in the air kapur, if using, kucai and sliced onion. Allow the batter to rest for at least 30 minutes to yield a crispier fritter.
2. Heat the oil for deep-frying in a wok over medium–high heat until hot and a little smoky.
3. When the oil is ready, dip a stainless-steel spoon into the hot oil and leave for 15–20 seconds, then lift it out and pour about 2 tablespoons of the batter into the spoon. Place one prawn on the batter, then gently lower the spoon into the hot oil. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the batter has firmed up and started to separate from the spoon, then push the fritter off the spoon into the oil to finish cooking over medium heat until golden brown, about 3–4 minutes. Once the fritter is in the oil, start on the next one. Remove the cooked fritters with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the remaining batter and prawns. Serve warm with your choice of dipping sauce.

Note

• To make limestone water, blend 1 teaspoon limestone paste with 1 tablespoon water. Limestone paste can be easily purchased online or from Asian grocery stores specialising in Southeast Asian ingredients. It is added to the batter to make the fritters super light and crisp, but you can omit it if you are unable to source it.

Penang Local by Aim Aris and Ahmad Salim, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $39.99). Photography by Georgia Gold. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.