This blog post is on making prawn crackers from scratch. This is a great as a starter, snack and party food. Prawns crackers or crisps is a crunchy and popular Chinese takeaway and restaurant starter. It does take some time to make it but it taste far far superior in comparison to the shop or supermarket bought one. Even in the restaurant ones wouldn’t taste so good.
A recent trip to my hometown in Malaysia inspired me to want to make it from scratch. There I got some crackers made from scratch by street food vendors. Obviously made from scratch rather than commercially made. It was sold in different flavours fish, big prawns and small one and purple sweet potato. The possibility is endless. Although depending on what is use it will affect the end result flavour.
While one can buy from street vendors but one wouldn’t know what exactly goes inside. It is time consuming to make but not difficult.
I much prefer using raw prawns instead of cooked prawns. As once blended it will bind much better than cooked prawns.
The success of the recipe very much depends on how thin the prawn dough is slice. Otherwise if it’s too thick it wouldn’t rise therefore will be too tough to eat.
Utensils needed to make includes
Electric blender or pestle and mortar
Steamer
Grease proof paper to line the steamer
Mandolin or sharp knife
Ingredients to make a small batch of prawn crackers for 8 persons
200 grams raw peeled prawns
200 grams tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (it helps to raise)
flavouring like salt and pepper or seafood crumble stock cube (about 1/8 teaspoon) to taste
Measure out the ingredients. Blend the raw prawns to a paste then add the tapioca flour and baking powder. It should bind into like bread like dough texture.
Divide the dough into 2-3 baguette like rolls like the picture below.
Steam cook it over medium heat for about 30 minutes till cook. When it’s cook the dough turns to a peachy pink colour.
Chill it right down best leave it overnight in the fridge. Till it’s firm so that it is easy to slice.
Next day slice in on a mandolin or with a sharp knife.
Lay it out the dry under the hot sun or oven in 50- 80 degrees Celsius. For as long it takes till it becomes dry and brittle. It should have a brittle sound like the unfried prawn crackers you buy in shops. If there is none or it does not change colour become more transparent then it is not ready.
The drying process on the oven can takes hours around 2-3 hours. Once it’s all dried out it be kept for a few weeks. To cook them just deep fry them in a pan of oil or deep fryer.
When you have time do have a look at my other Asian recipes like white cut chicken rice and asian style pickled cucumbers.
All the best and thank you for dropping by.
