Fried Prawn Cakes
- 1/2 pound raw shrimp, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 spring onions, sliced up small
- salt
- grated ginger
- flour (I use arrowroot or tapioca)
- water
1) Put the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Mix. (you could also add tiny bits of carrot or red pepper).
2) You want to add a small palmful of flour, just enough to coat. Then add a little bit of water. What you are trying to do is make it almost like a paste that covers the shrimp. This is the glue that holds it all together. If it's a bit too watery, add a bit more flour. Too floury, a bit more water. Don't be afraid. It's hard to mess this up. You just want the mixture to be sticky.
3) Cover and let stand in the fridge for one hour (this is important. It continues the glue process and lets the flavours marry).
4) Add a teaspoon worth of your "batter" to the pan at a time, making tiny mouthsized balls. Fry in a bit of oil (I suppose you could try coconut oil, but I am unsure of the results) for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.
Not the healthiest recipe (because of the frying), but if you are missing the taste of Asian-style food, this could help you out. I love these, but I tend to eat too many and end up with a stomach ache. Mind you, the digestive-factor will change depending on a) what oil you use and b) what flour/how much.
If you want a dipping sauce, I use a clove of garlic, more ginger, some red pepper flakes, a few drops of toasted sesame seed oil, and either a bit of wheat free lite tamari sauce or braggs 'all purpose seasoning'. The soy is a no no for some. Personally, I think braggs is really gross.