Tamarind Prawns

If the tamarind fish is the showpiece, the tamarind prawns are pure pleasure — sweet, sticky, a little messy, and impossible to eat politely. It’s the dish people order a second time the moment the plate is clear.

In the kitchen

The prawns are cooked fast and hot so they stay plump and snappy — overcook a prawn and you lose it, so timing is everything. Tamarind pulp is reduced with palm sugar and a touch of fish sauce into a glossy glaze, balanced on the knife-edge between sweet and sour, with just enough dried chilli to give it a warm hum. The prawns are tossed through until every one wears a shining coat, then finished with a scatter of crisp fried shallots.

At the table

They arrive glistening and amber, smelling of caramel and tamarind, the fried shallots crackling on top. Each prawn is sweet and tangy on the outside, sweet and tender within, with the shallots adding a savoury crunch. It’s a finger-food kind of joy — the glaze ends up on your hands, and you won’t mind a bit.

Pick them up, don’t be shy, and chase each one with rice.