Recipe: Fried Shrimp Sushi Rolls

Making inside-out sushi rolls doesn’t have to be all that involved if you’ve got the basic materials and some plastic wrap on hand. Serve plain or decorated like fish to thrill your child (or your inner child), like I did with Bug’s bento lunch for Children’s Day. You can speed this up by using frozen fried shrimp and frozen rice, but a step-by-step recipe for making inside-out shrimp sushi rolls from scratch follows below.

Fried Shrimp Sushi Rolls

(adapted from the Japanese-language cookbook Okosama Lunch to Obento “Children’s Lunches and Bentos”)

For the fried shrimp:

a few shrimp, shelled but tail onfloursalt & pepper to taste1 egg, beaten1/2 cup panko Japanese bread crumbs (or regular Western breadcrumbs)vegetable oil for deep frying(special equipment: toothpicks or bamboo skewers, small pot for deep-frying)

For the rolls:

one large piece of nori (roasted seaweed for sushi), cut in halfone cup of cooked rice (short- or medium-grain)1 Tb of aonori (seaweed) or 2 Tb of green-colored furikake (flavored sprinkles for rice)1 Tb of sakura denbu or 2 Tb of pink- or orange-colored furikake (flavored sprinkles for rice)(special equipment: 1 sheet of plastic wrap or a “makisu” sushi rolling mat)

For the roll decoration:

1 quail egg, hard boiled and peeled (or substitute a regular chicken egg, sliced white cheese, kamaboko fish cake, etc.)small piece of nori (roasted seaweed) for the eyes and gills4 slices of cooked zucchini (or substitute raw cucumber)4 slices of cooked carrotmayonnaise for affixing edible decorations(special equipment: sharp scissors for cutting the nori shapes)

If you have frozen tempura shrimp, you can use that as a shortcut. If not, you’ll need to make your own fried shrimp from scratch.

For the fried shrimp:

1. Pat the shrimp dry and insert a toothpick or skewer down the middle lengthwise. If using long skewers, use kitchen scissors to snip off the excess skewer. This keeps the shrimp straight and prevents them from curling up during frying.

2. In three separate shallow dishes or pans, set up your breading station: mix together flour/salt/pepper in the first dish, beaten egg in the second, and panko bread crumbs in the third.

3.  Dip the shrimp in the flour mixture, tapping off excess. Then dip the shrimp in the beaten egg, then the bread crumbs, letting the excess fall off. Place on a rack while you finish breading the rest.

4. (If you want to save the shrimp for future speedy bento lunch prep, the breaded shrimp can be wrapped and frozen at this point. Just quick-fry them while frozen when you’re looking for a little extra something in a lunch.)

5. Heat enough vegetable oil in the pot for deep frying until it reaches 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Fry the shrimp a few at a time until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack lined with paper towels to drain. Once cool, carefully remove the toothpicks or bamboo skewers from the shrimp so you don’t have an unpleasant surprise when eating!

For the sushi rolls:

6. Split the cooked rice into separate bowls, stirring the aonori (or green furikake) into one and the sakura-denbu (or pink/orange furikake) into the other. Take a half-sheet of roasted nori seaweed and spread a thin layer of the colored rice on top. I left a small strip of nori without rice in the photo, but wound up trimming it off in the finished product.

7. Take a piece of plastic wrap and place the rice/nori rice-side down on the plastic wrap to enable the inside-out rolling without having rice stick everywhere.

8. Place the plastic-wrap side down on the rolling mat or the counter, and place one of the fried shrimp on the nori side. (If you have a makisu bamboo rolling mat, use this to help roll the shrimp inside of the nori and rice. If you don’t have a special rolling mat, just use the plastic wrap.)

9. Using steady, even pressure, roll the shrimp inside of the nori, simultaneously peeling away the plastic wrap from the far end when it’s in danger of being rolled up into the nori.

10. At this point, you can either use the rolls as is or further decorate them to look like fish. To serve as is, remove the plastic wrap from the outside and you’ve got the basic inside-out sushi roll.

To decorate the rolls:

11. While the roll is still wrapped in plastic wrap, dip a sharp knife in water and cut off the very end of the rolls. This gives a flat, straight end to the roll that forms the “fish face”. (What to do with the leftover food scraps? Either eat it as a snack or pack it up in the bento under other food.)

12. Remove the plastic wrap from the sushi roll and place the roll in your bento box, ready for decoration.

13. To form the scales: Cook the sliced carrots and zucchini either on the stovetop or in the microwave. (I used my microwave mini steamer from Daiso to cook both in under a minute, but you could simmer or saute them as you like.) Cut off about a quarter from the side of each slice of carrot/zucchini to form “fish scales”, and place three on each roll. I used a little dab of Gohan Desu Yo! seaweed paste to help the veggies stick to the rice.

14. Fold a small piece of spare nori in half, and use sharp scissors to cut out two crescent-shaped slivers (for “gills”) and two small circles (for “eyes”).

15. Cut the hard-boiled quail egg into slices, and pick out two slices that show the most yellow yolk. Place these on the roll to form “eyes”, using a little dab of mayonnaise (or seaweed paste, cream cheese, etc.) to help affix to the rice. If using a regular chicken egg, use the two smallest slices of egg white from each end to form the “eyes”. (Other white-colored substitutes for eyes could include sliced cheese, kamaboko fish cake, etc. What else would work? Let us know in comments!). Place a nori “gill” just behind each “eye”. The moisture of the rice should keep the dry nori affixed.

16. Cut the remaining carrot and zucchini slices into little circles a little smaller than the egg “eye”, and affix to the egg yolk with a dab of mayonnaise. Place the smallest nori circles on top of those to complete the “eye.”

FURTHER READING:

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Red Curry Shrimp Dumplings

I love shrimp and all sorts of Chinese dumplings made with shrimp, for example: har gow, shrimp and chive dumplings, etc. However, whenever I make dumplings, I have always made them the traditional Chinese way. I chanced upon a Thai-flavored red curry shrimp dumpling recipe in one of the food magazines a while ago and that left a lasting impression. I love Thai food and always enjoy the exotic flavors of spices and heat of chilies, so these red curry shrimp dumplings immediately won my heart—and stomach—over. There is nothing not to love about them: briny shrimp with a tint of heat, aroma, and spices from the red curry paste. The use of fish sauce adds extra umami to the already delicious shrimp filling, and the chopped cilantro leaves complete the whole package as some of the best shrimp dumplings I have had.

There are a few brands of Thai red curry paste available in the market here in the US. Both Mae Ploy and Maesri brand are good, and I like them both. But if I had a choice, I would always buy Maesri because they have a smaller 4 oz can which is economical and you don’t have to buy a big tub and end up using only some of it. For the shape of the dumplings, you can make them into a half-moon shape, which is the easiest way of making dumplings, but I took the effort to make them into a parcel, which is not that much harder to make. They just look prettier and neat. Regardless of the shape, they are still tasty and mouthwatering.

For the cooking part, I simply boiled the red curry shrimp dumplings and eat them. You can also pan-fry or steam them if you like. Dumplings are so versatile and a pan-fried version or steamed version will be different in texture from the boiled dumplings. Ultimately, how you want to cook them is up to you, but be rest assured, they are always scrumptious whichever you serve them.

Here is my red curry shrimp dumpling recipe. They can be made ahead, and you can freeze them if you like. Before cooking, just thaw them at room temperature. Enjoy!

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Pork Shrimp and Napa Cabbage Dumplings

I am counting down to Lunar New Year which falls on this Friday. (Check out my Chinese New Year recipes.) On Lunar New Year’s eve, family would gather together for a reunion dinner—a feast where plenty of dishes would be served. Growing up in Penang, Malaysia, our family reunion dinner would always be hotpot, or “steamboat” (called “??”) where we cook various ingredients in a boiling pot of soup. As a child, I would always look forward to Chinese New Year, as it’s the happiest time of the year, with new clothes, new shoes, great foods, money (“red packets”), abundant joy and endless fun with my family and cousins.

The first year I came to the United States as a graduate student, I celebrated Lunar New Year’s eve with my friends from China. That was the first time I was introduced to dumplings, or jiaozi, as the staple for the reunion dinner. I remember my Chinese friends gathered around wrapping beautiful dumplings with the fillings, some made with pork and chives, and some with pork and napa cabbage. It was the first time I tasted Chinese-style dumplings, and it was then that I fell in love with them.

This is my easy pork, shrimp and napa cabbage dumplings. All the ingredients can be found at regular supermarkets. More importantly, these dumplings are extremely delicious: juicy, savory, with a nice and refreshing crunch from the fresh napa cabbage. They are absolutely delightful for the upcoming Lunar New Year celebration.

For Lunar New Year recipe ideas, please check out my collection of Chinese recipes, Lunar New Year recipes, as well as my Dumplings recipes. Enjoy!

(Click Page 2 for the Pork, Shrimp & Napa Cabbage Dumplings Recipe)

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Chinese Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce

Fermented black beans, if you're not already familiar with them through dishes like mapo tofu or black bean chicken, are very potent and tasty, but definitely not the most attractive ingredient in the world. They come prepackaged in either a plastic bag or a plastic or glass jar. The best way to describe the smell right out of the package is "super funky barnyard". That said, when cooked, they add a wonderful earthiness to Chinese dishes, so that's why we use 'em. However, if you do buy them in plastic, it's best to transfer them to a glass container with a tight lid, to store in the back of the fridge. That way, their lovely funky aroma won't bother anyone and they'll keep for a really long time. 

This shrimp stir-fry is extremely quick to put together. In fact, it is almost too quick. So you should have everything on hand with the expectation that it'll all be over in less than 5 minutes. I add some baby bok choy for color and good leafy green vitamins. If you like the earthy pungency of black beans and garlic, and still want to taste the lightness of perfectly cooked shrimp, give this one a try!

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Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal

1 pound jumbo or large shrimp, peeled and deveined1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil2 teaspoons minced garlic1 teaspoon minced ginger2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced1 tablespoon fermented black beans, rinsed, drained, and lightly mashed with the back of a spoon1 pound bok choy, hard ends trimmed and leaves separated1 tablespoon soy sauce1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry1 teaspoon sesame oilHeat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until pink all around, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.In the same wok or skillet, add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and cook just until aromatic, about 20 seconds. Add the fermented black beans and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Add the bok coy and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil. Stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the bok choy is slightly wilted.Return the shrimp to the pan. Stir-fry for another 1 minute, until the shrimp is well-coated with the sauce. Transfer everything to a plate, garnish with scallion greens, and serve. 

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Cashew Shrimp

I love it that the Chinese restaurants in the US offer special lunch menu. For about $5-$7, you get a complete meal of an entree, rice, and a bowl of soup. Some days when I am too lazy to make lunch, or when I don’t have lunch dates with my friends, I always find myself at a Chinese restaurant, getting my fix of cheap and filling Chinese food.

Recently, I have been going to be a Chinese restaurant close to my house. I have tried many dishes on their special lunch menu, but I am hooked on their cashew shrimp—a simple shrimp stir-fry with cashew nuts (my favorite nut), snow peas, carrots, and canned straw mushrooms. I am probably biased as I love both shrimp and cashew nuts, but I thought their version of cashew shrimp has “wok hei” (breath of wok), with juicy and bouncy shrimp, and the sauce is the epitome of Cantonese cooking—light, savory, and just coats the shrimp and ingredients. I love it.

So today, I decided to attempt it at home. I tried to replicate the same taste, with slightly less oil. The end result was this beautiful, delicious, and pleasing cashew shrimp recipe that goes so well with steamed white rice. This is great for a small family of 2-3 people, served with other dishes.

When it comes to shrimp, I usually get my shrimp at Asian supermarkets, because they are available at an average of $5 – $6 per pound, depending on the size of the shrimp, and whether or not they are shelled. This is cheap as the price can be easily double at regular stores, such as Whole Foods. Shrimp is very tasty and your family can enjoy shrimp more often if you know where to get the cheapest shrimp. Try this cashew shrimp recipe and I am sure everyone would really enjoy it.

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Tamarind Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers

I am sad that summer is over, because I love eating food on skewers: Malaysian satay, Thai sate, Persian kebabs, lemongrass grilled shrimp, honey sesame chicken skewers, beef skewers, bacon-wrapped scallops, and the list goes on. This Tamarind Shrimp and Pineapple Skewer was originally created for the Asian Street Food Festival in Denver. It has my favorite shrimp, lightly marinated with tamarind and cooked, and skewered with a piece of fresh and juicy pineapple.

The dish was inspired by my trip to Vietnam a few months ago. One of the things that I tried on the boat in the Mekong Delta was fresh pineapple, sold by the boat vendor. The pineapple was sweet, juicy, with a pleasant tint of sour. I paired the shrimp with the pineapple; every bite is bursting with flavors. I also topped the shrimp with some ground peanuts and chopped scallions, for extra bite.

The good news about being in Southern California is that we will be enjoying warm summer days until October/November. Lucky us, it means that we can still eat the last skewers of summery foods well into the end of this month. What I like about this tamarind shrimp and pineapple skewer is that you can serve this almost anytime of the year. You don’t have to grill the shrimp. You can pan-fry the shrimp…it’s tasty either way. You might even serve this as party foods, as a warm appetizer. It’s totally up to you!

Bon appetit.

(Click Page 2 for the Tamarind Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers Recipe)

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Thai Shrimp and Pineapple Curry

Earlier this week I tested out a recipe with pineapple, for the street food festival at ChoLon Denver on August 22 where I am going to present two dishes for the guests (click here to buy tickets for the event). I bought a big pineapple and had the leftover. Whenever I have some leftover pineapple, I’d make pineapple fried rice, or shrimp and pineapple curry.

There are two versions of shrimp and pineapple curry I like. One is the Nyonya version (click here for the recipe) and the other one is Thai shrimp and pineapple curry. Both of them are utterly scrumptious and appetizing. The pineapple adds a nice, sweet tang to the overall curry, and the shrimp and coconut milk basically complete the dish. I can eat two full servings of steamed white rice with this dish.

What I love about this Thai shrimp and pineapple curry is that I can just use store-bought red curry paste, so there is no need to make the spice paste from scratch, unlike the Nyonya Udang Lemak Nenas. You know me, when it comes to cooking, I don’t mind all the shortcuts as long as the end result tastes great. I know most people don’t buy fresh pineapple and eat it as a daily “fruit,” so you can always opt for canned pineapple. If are you using canned pineapple, make sure you choose those cut in rings.

Here you have it, my Thai shrimp and pineapple curry recipe, quite possibly my favorite Thai curry ever! It’s so tasty you will thank me after you try making this yourself.

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Hawaiian Shrimp Scampi (Garlic Butter Shrimp)

Recently on social media, Hawaiian-style shrimp scampi or garlic butter shrimp photos keep popping up on my feeds. Some photos are my friend’s vacation photos as they chowed down on the world’s famous Giovanni’s shrimp scampi, while others are recipes and videos of copycat recipes of this delicacy.

The more I look at the photos and recipes, the more I am craving for the luscious, buttery, and lip-smacking Giovanni’s shrimp scampi that I had 4 years ago while we vacationed in Oahu. I had to fix it. As I couldn’t just pack up my luggage and hop on the plane to paradise island, I had to do something about my hunger and intense craving. So, I gathered all the ingredients—a short list of essentials that most people have at home—and cooked up a storm yesterday. The end result: one pound of buttery, garlicky, yummy shrimp goodness laid out on a piece of parchment paper on my patio table. I was enjoying the gorgeous day, soaking in the warmth of sunshine, and downing the shrimp with a bottle of cold beer. Ahhhh, it was as if I was transported to Kahuku, the north shore of Oahu island, where the legendary shrimp truck is.

For my Hawaiian shrimp scampi recipe, I referred to the menu of Giovanni’s above, which stated the key ingredients of olive oil, garlic, lemon/butter. I also checked out this recipe and then created my own recipe, based on this photo that I captured during the trip.

Anyway, here is the side-by-side comparison. The left photo is the original. Even though my version is not 100% identical, I got my shrimp scampi to taste as close as Giovanni’s. I was very happy with my Hawaiian shrimp scampi recipe. If you have tried the original, I strongly urge you to try my interpretation. If you haven’t been, you should totally try it, too, as this is a perfect summer dish to share and enjoy with your friends and family. You should also check out this summertime peel and eat shrimp. Happy eating!

(Click Page 2 for the Hawaiian Shrimp Scampi Recipe)

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Vietnamese Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls

Hi everyone,  hope you’re doing well and your weather is warming up to the peak of Spring. We’re back, cooking in our home kitchen again and it feels nice to be making food that isn’t for a shoot. We’ve had a fulfilling four weeks of back to back shoots and working with some of the coolest and creative people in advertising, but it’s always nice to be able to wind down and cook to eat, rather than for the camera. And best of all, we don’t always have a sink full of dirty dishes! That’s part of our days on shoots, tending to towering piles of dirty dishes.

Now with a few days of rest before we’re back to shooting Fall campaigns, the first thing that we missed eating at home were fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. We just can’t get enough of these fresh spring rolls. We live on spring rolls.

As we were gathering ingredients for our simple lunch, we realized that we never had a chance to share with you Charles Phan’s fantastic cookbook, Vietnamese Home Cooking. Have you looked at his gorgeous book yet? It’s an incredible work of art. The book really transports you back to Vietnam, where Charles grew up and shares his food stories from street food to his humble home cooking. We also had a blast filming and producing the cookbook trailer for his cookbook. When we flipped the pages, one of the first recipes that crossed our fingers was Charles’ pork and shrimp spring rolls.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect and inspired because we haven’t made our pork and shrimp spring rolls in a while. This is one of those perfect lunches and dinners that is so easy to make, that can feed a hungry family and is both healthy and satisfying. As the weather warms up, we tend to stray away from heavy lunches because our bodies start calling out to take a nap.

Some cooks find it intimidating to work with spring roll wrappers, but once you understand how to work with them, it’s really easier than you think. The key is making sure you don’t over soak your wrappers and having all your ingredients all prepped and ready to go. Mis en place organization is important and once you have all your vegetables and fillings out and ready, rolling and eating the spring rolls is so much for fun. We wrote a tutorial on how we roll our spring rolls. Hopefully it’ll be of help to you when you venture into this dish.

Enjoy,

diane and todd

 Our previous spring rolling tutorial can be found here .

For these pork and shrimp spring rolls, start your roll first….

then lay the sliced shrimp, cut side up

finished roll! For open ended rolls, just fold the wrapper in half & let the lettuce peek out the ends

Yield: Serves 3-4

Total Time: 45 min

In his cookbook Vietnamese Home Cooking, Charles Phan has a great story behind these spring rolls and how his Mother has a very unique twist by adding a smear of homemade mayonnaise to moisten the wrapper. We suggest you get the book to understand how she does all this, as well as how he makes his full version of the rolls with his peanut dip. The recipe we're sharing today is our own recipe that we serve with our hoisin peanut dip.

1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined3 teaspoons vegetable oilabout 1/2 pound ( 8 oz) boneless pork loin or shoulder1 ( 8-10 oz) package of dried rice vermicelli noodles or "rice sticks", cooked to package instructions.1 small head of lettuce1 medium cucumber, cut into thin stripsfresh herbs: mint, asian basil. Vietnamese coriander, Vietnamese perilla or cilantroabout 12 ( 8-inch) rice paper wrappers or rice paper spring roll wrappers1/4 cup hoisin ( If hoisin dip is too thick, add water to thin out the dip)2 heaping tablespoons peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter.1 teaspoon rice vinegar1/2 teaspoon sesame oilFor the hoisin peanut dip: In medium bowl, combine all dip ingredients together. Use a fork to help blend well.Cook the dried rice vermicelli noodles to package instructions.For the rolls, start by preparing the pork. Bring medium pot of water to boil and add pork. Boil the pork on medium heat for about 15-25 minutes or until the pork is cooked. Remove from water, allow to cool and slice into thin strips.For the shrimp, heat a medium pan, add vegetable oil. Lay shrimp on pan and sear on both sides till shrimp becomes pink and cooked. Remove shrimp from heat, allow to cool and slice each shrimp lengthwise in half.Gather all your filling ingredients on plates: noodles, shrimp, pork, lettuce, cucumber, herbs and rice paper wrappers.Please check out our photo tutorial on how to roll spring rolls and the photographs in the blog post to see how to roll with the sliced shrimp showing on the outside.Add warm water to a large bowl. Quickly dip each rice paper wrapper in warm water for a few seconds and lay on rolling surface such as a cutting board or plate (they will still be slightly stiff).Lay your lettuce first on the soft spring roll wrapper, then add the strips lettuce, herbs, cucumber, noodles and pork.Roll spring roll till you have about 1/3 of rice paper left, then lay about 2-3 pieces of shrimp, cut side up in a row and finish rolling. The shrimp will lay on the outside of the spring roll when you are finished rolling.Serve with the hoisin peanut dip.

Click on the link above for a helpful tutorial with photographs showing the step by step method. how to roll spring rolls

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Shrimp and Cheese Spring Rolls

Shrimp and cheese spring rolls. I think I had you at the title of this recipe!

These shrimp spring rolls are not your typical spring rolls. Made with succulent and marinated shrimp and cheddar cheese (yes, cheese!), they are bound to wow your palate and have you begged for more.

Everyone could use some spring rolls, and this spring roll is special because the filling is not the regular filling of vegetables, but fresh, succulent, and juicy shrimp. To sweeten the deal, I decided to add some cheese so every bite of the spring roll is sinfully good and cheesy.

For the spring roll wrapper, I always choose the smaller piece for this recipe (there are two sizes but choose the smaller ones). The smaller spring roll wrapper is just the right size to wrap the shrimp and cheese filling. For the deep-frying, you can easily do these in batches in a medium-sized sauce pan. Use a pair of long, wooden chopsticks to turn the shrimp spring rolls around so both sides of the spring rolls turn a nice golden brown.

I love serving these shrimp and cheese spring rolls at parties because they are such a crowd pleaser. For the dipping sauce, you can use either chili sauce with sesame seeds, or mayonnaise. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this appetizer and I bet your friends will be bribing you for this shrimp and cheese spring rolls recipe as soon as they taste the goods!

(Click Page 2 for the Shrimp and Cheese Spring Rolls Recipe)

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Shrimp With Lobster Sauce

(All Chinese New Year recipes can be found here.)

Lunar New Year is a few days away and falls on Sunday, February 10 this year. This is the year of Snake and the Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese will be celebrating the new year. As a Chinese, there are many taboos that we follow to rid of bad luck, for example: not sweeping the floor on the first day of Chinese New Year because you will be sweeping away all the good luck/fortune in the new year. I remember growing up, I was wondering why our house was so dirty during Chinese New Year, as there were litters and debris from the prayers and firecrackers in our front yard, but my mother and aunt would always say “DO NOT SWEEP THE FLOOR.”  Such was fond memories of celebrating Chinese New Year in Penang, Malaysia.

Now, let’s talk about food. Chinese New Year is all about feasting, eating lots of good food that signifies great fortune, happiness, and prosperity. Shrimp is always a great dish to serve as the Cantonese pronunciation of ? sounds like ?, which means laughter or happiness.

Coincidentally, I received a few requests from my readers how to prepare Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, a very popular Americanized Chinese dish. So, here I share with you my Shrimp with Lobster Sauce recipe, which you can prepare to celebrate Chinese New Year. One thing that I need to clarify is that no lobster is used in this dish. This is pretty much a shrimp dish with a Cantonese-style egg sauce. As to why it’s called a lobster sauce, I have no idea. But being a Chinese, I think whoever invented the dish is a smart marketing whiz as it sounds so much more delicious with the word lobster in its name.

I have MANY Chinese/Lunar New Year recipes here on Rasa Malaysia. Please click here to check them out. If you are cooking abalone for your family, you have to start cooking NOW as it takes days. My recipe of braised abalone and sea cucumber is here.

Have a healthy and prosperous Snake Year. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

(Click Page 2 for the Shrimp with Lobster Sauce Recipe)

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Kung Pao Shrimp

When I teach cooking classes, one of the questions students ask most frequently is what is my favorite dish to cook again and again. Talk about hard questions! I’m constantly testing so many new recipes for this blog and other projects that  I don’t get to go back to old favorites as often as I should.

But of course, there are recipes I frequently crave and try to work in on nights when I’m not testing out new recipes. One is buttermilk roast chicken, a delicious standby for when friends come by for dinner. Another is chicken adobo and its coconut variation, which I frequently daydream about and could make in my sleep. And yet another is anything kung pao.

Kung pao chicken is such a standby in my kitchen because of both its mouthwatering sauce and its ease of preparation. But from time to time, I also make kung pao shrimp as a variation. The prep time is roughly the same, or even faster if you buy your shrimp already cleaned and deveined.

For kung pao shrimp, I adjust the sauce quantities to account for the shrimp not being marinated beforehand like chicken, but the end result is still a delicious mix of savory, spicy, and tangy with a hint of sweetness and some crunch from the peanuts. The key is drying the shrimp all around with paper towels, so they get a nice even sear in the wok. The actual cooking is super-easy and takes just 5 minutes or less.

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Kung Pao Shrimp

Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal

1 pound large shrimp2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil8 to 10 dried red chilis3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced2 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon minced or grated ginger¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Sauce:

1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar, or substitute good-quality balsamic vinegar2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry2 teaspoons soy sauce1 teaspoon hoisin sauce1 teaspoon sesame oil2 teaspoons sugar1 teaspoon cornstarch1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepperPeel and devein the shrimp. Blot the shrimp all around with paper towels to get rid of excess moisture.Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, and Sichuan pepper. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch is dissolved and set aside.Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the base. Add the chilis and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until the chilis have just begun to blacken and the oil is slightly fragrant. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until mostly pink on the outside but not yet cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes.Add the scallion whites, garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce and mix to coat the other ingredients. Stir in the peanuts and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle the scallion greens on top, and serve.

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More shrimp recipes to try:

Tagged as: Chinese, Recipes, Seafood, Shrimp, Spicy

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Lemongrass and Sriracha Grilled Shrimp

Lemongrass Grilled Shrimp pictures (1 of 5)

How’s your summer so far? I hope everyone has been busy firing out your grill, having endless pool parties, and more importantly, having a blast with your friends and family.

If you’re looking for new barbeque recipes and ideas, I wish to tempt you with my upcoming Asian-style BBQ recipes. Let’s start with this mouthwatering lemongrass grilled shrimp, spiced with Sriracha, and marinated with fish sauce, garlic, and jazzed up with a chili-calamansi (or lime) dipping sauce. Sounds so good already, right? But wait, my next two posts are Thai Chicken satay with peanut sauce and lobster roll!

This Vietnamese-style lemongrass grilled shrimp is extremely easy to make, but the taste is so amazing that you won’t believe they take less than 30 minutes to make. The highlight of the recipe is lemongrass—which imparts the distinct aroma and unique flavor to the grilled shrimp skewers. The fish sauce and garlic marinade further enhance the briny sweet taste of the fresh shrimp, and the spicy Sriracha lends that extra kick that everyone has grown to love.

Mr. Rasa Malaysia (who is unfortunately allergic to shrimp) kept saying “smell so good” as I eagerly removed the lemongrass grilled shrimp from my new grill. My friend gave me some fresh calamansi and I squeezed a little lit of the juice on the shrimp before serving….heavenly. You simply can’t go wrong with this lemongrass and Sriracha grilled shrimp recipe; I can say that very few grilled shrimp recipes tops this one.

(Click Page 2 for the Lemomgrass Grilled Shrimp Recipe)

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I am lucky that I live in Orange County because I can pretty much get all the ingredients I want at the many ethnic food stores here. Whenever I want to cook Chinese, there is 99 Ranch Market. When I am in the mood for Japanese food, I go to Mitsuwa or Marukai. And when I need ingredients for Malaysian,…

When a Michelin-trained private chef writes about food, you know it’s gotta be good and that’s exactly what Zen Chef at Zen Can Cook (previously known as Chefs Gone Wild) delivers–a food blog choked full of scrumptious dishes that rival the finest and best restaurants around. Zen is always wacky, hilarious, and I admire his cooking and wicked writing style (read…

I miss the breakfast breads in Vietnam during my travels, specifically Vietnamese-style baguettes (bánh mì). Here in the States, whenever I need my bánh mì fix, it’s a fifteen minutes drive to Little Saigon. Most of the time, there’s a line, so it takes even longer to get my fix. That’s why I decided to make it at home. Bánh…

During my childbirth confinement, I missed eating seafood so much, especially my favorite shrimp. So, there was no surprise that as soon as the confinement ended, I headed straight to my favorite seafood restaurant and had a feast of seafood meal. I have also resumed cooking, albeit in a small way as I am adjusting to motherhood and my new…

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Yum Woon Sen (Thai Noodles Salad with Shrimp)

Yum Woon Sen pictures (1 of 4)

Summer in the US can be scorching hot, which can potentially strip your healthy appetite even though you’re hungry. In times like this, I like to make refreshing and light salads when I am not in the mood to have something heavy. Thai salads always fit the bill as the signature flavors of tart, spicy, sweet, and salty always set my mouth watering, for example: green papaya salad or som tam, and yum woon sen, cellophane noodles salad.

Cellophane noodles, also known as glass noodles, mung bean noodles, tang hoon (in Malaysia & Singapore) are a type of Asian noodles made with mung beans. Unlike rice noodles, cellophane noodles have a smooth surface and mouth feel, springy in texture, and almost transparent (hence the name “glass” noodles) when cooked. Many of my favorite Thai dishes are made with this type of noodles, and one of them is yum woon sen.

While you can easily get an order of yum woon sen at any Thai restaurants, I find homemade version so much more appetizing. First of all, I can have as many shrimp as I want in the noodle salad; secondly, I love chilling the salad before serving. On warm summer days when the temperature is baking hot, try this yum woon sen recipe. I am sure you will love the refreshing good taste of this classic Thai salad. You can even make a big batch and serve as a side for your next BBQ party.

(Click Page 2 for the Yum Woon Sen (Thai Noodle Salad with Shrimp) Recipe)

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Even though I don’t share many vegetable recipes on Rasa Malaysia (mostly because I find Asian-style vegetables very hard to shoot), it doesn’t mean that I don’t like them. Dine in or out, I always have a vegetable dish to balance off my meal. I love all kinds of vegetables, be it plain stir-fry, in soups, or in noodles. Vegetable…

When a Michelin-trained private chef writes about food, you know it’s gotta be good and that’s exactly what Zen Chef at Zen Can Cook (previously known as Chefs Gone Wild) delivers–a food blog choked full of scrumptious dishes that rival the finest and best restaurants around. Zen is always wacky, hilarious, and I admire his cooking and wicked writing style (read…

I adore Thai cuisine and am always in search of great Thai cooking blogs. She Simmers is a fabulous resource for Thai cooking with many Thai recipes, including Thai pantry. Authored by the talented Leela, She Simmers is a gem—authentic and easy-to-follow Thai recipes, gorgeous food photography, and beautiful food writing and story-telling. I am a big fan of She…

My friend Chef Robert Danhi and I share a lot of things in common, so it’s no surprise that we hit it off as soon as we connected on Twitter a few years ago. Describing himself as a “hard-boiled egg”—white on the outside but yellow inside—Robert embraces everything Asian when it comes to cooking, eating, and traveling. Every year, Robert…

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