Kung pao prawns
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 2
This Sichuan-inspired seafood dish is deliciously spicy and savoury, and comes together in around 15 minutes.
Ingredients
For the marinated prawns
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp MSG (optional)
- 165g/5¾oz king prawns, heads removed, shells removed, de-veined
- 2–3 tbsp sunflower oil
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp cornflour
For the vegetables
- drizzle sunflower oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1cm/½in fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 3–5 dried red chillies (optional)
- 1 red pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 onion, cut into chunks
- 2 spring onions, trimmed, white parts sliced and green parts roughly chopped
- handful salted peanuts
- freshly steamed rice, to serve
Method
To marinate the prawns, place the garlic powder, cornflour, salt and MSG (if using) in a large bowl. Mix well then add the prawns. Mix again until the prawns are fully coated.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the prawns and cook until they start to colour and become golden brown on one side. Turn them over and cook on the other side until completely cooked through. Set aside.
To make the sauce, mix all of the ingredients and 50ml/2fl oz water in a bowl. Set aside.
To make the vegetables, heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and red chilli and cook for 30 seconds. Add the pepper, onion and spring onion whites and cook until the vegetables start to get a bit of colour. Add the prawns and mix everything together.
Add the sauce, toss everything together and let it bubble away for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle in the peanuts and the spring onion greens.
Serve immediately with the rice.
