Sambal Prawns With Coconut & Cashews
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Sambal Prawns With Coconut & Cashews

For this Indonesian-inspired recipe, you need only a handful of kitchen staples to create a delicious meal bursting with warmth and salty sweetness. Chillies and garlic form the sambal base, fried in oil until the chilli begins to caramelise and wrinkle. Meanwhile, the green beans are cooked to a vibrant green, with just enough crunch Finally, good-quality frozen prawns are one of the greatest emergency freezer-raid ingredients, bringing their meaty, juicy flavour and distinctive scent of the sea to any dish.
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Serves
4
Total Time
25 Minutes
Ingredients
25g of desiccated coconut
Flavourless cooking oil (such as sunflower or grapeseed) or coconut oil
20 medium raw prawns, peeled, tails on, defrosted if frozen
2 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed, or 2 tsp of garlic paste
4 long red chillies, deseeded & finely diced
200g of green beans, trimmed & cut into 5cm lengths diagonally
1 tbsp of kecap manis
½ tsp of coconut sugar or brown sugar
1 large pinch of fine sea salt
60g of roasted salted cashews
Method
Step 1

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.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

Add the green beans along with 1 tablespoon of 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.

Step 5

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.

A Splash of Soy: Everyday Food from Asia by Lara Lee (Bloomsbury Publishing, £19.99, was £22, Hardback)

Photography by Louise Hagger. Alexander Breeze prop stylist.

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