Cucur Udang/Malaysian Prawn Fritters

I have tried my recipes but did not like them cos either the batter was too thick making the fritters too doughy in the middle.  I like the fritters to be crispy all the way through with the vegetables not too soft.  The shrimp/prawn on top has to be fried crispy so that the shells can be eaten without getting choked on it.  For that reason, the shrimp/prawn has to be small.  The vegetables used do not have to be garlic chives and bean sprouts, i have used shredded potatoes, taro, pumpkin and i can go on and on, so play with your food and you can serve something that is so good that you yourself cannot imagine that it is possible.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
 2 tbsp oil
1 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chicken granules
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup garlic chives - cut into 1 inch lengths
16 - 20 small shrimps
Oil for deep-frying

Method:

Combine the all-purpose flour, tapioca starch, rice flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, chicken granules and tumeric. and mix well.

Add water and oil to make a thin batter. Then stir in the chives and bean sprouts.

Heat the oil  in medium heat. Place a small ladle in the oil to and heat until ladle is hot.. Then lift the ladle out from the oil and allowing excess oil to drip off.

Using the chopsticks, pick up a bunch of vegetables together with as much batter as possible on to the hot ladle.  Put a piece of shrimp on to the center of the vegetables.and press it in. Lower the ladle into the oil,  when the base of the fritter has formed a crust, it will dislodged by itself if the ladle is hot enoughto begin with, if it does not fall off, gently push it out of the ladle with the tip of a spatula or small knife and allow it to continue frying in the oil until golden brown.

Repeat until all the vegetables in the batter are done.

Drain fritters on paper towel. Cool  slightly before serving with chilli sauce(recipe as follows)

Chilli Sauce

2 tbsp Siracha chilli sauce
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp sugar

Mix all the above ingredients.

Serves

Pasta with Pungent Parsley Pesto

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Forgive the alliteration. I know it's bad, but my children named this dish years ago while making merry at the dinner table. It was a working mother's secret weapon and I made it a lot when I needed something fast and easy to pair with broiled steak, chicken or, in a pinch, even poached eggs. The making merry part was usually at my expense and the alliteration was the result too many good teachers and overactive, albeit creative, imaginations. This was back in the day when we didn't grill, we broiled and at that time pesto, the basil and pine nut variety, was sweeping the country. My children didn't care for the standard version, so I had to search for and experiment with other types. The one I found for our use is based on a recipe developed Patricia Wells and it is much easier to make than its more familiar cousin. The pungent portion of the alliteration comes from a few anchovies that are added to parsley as it's processed. Unless you let it sit too long you won't know they're in the sauce, though I must admit their flavor can become harsh if it sits for too long before being served. This is one of those rare sauces that I like to make just before I add it to the pasta. Freshly made, it is delicious and the anchovies are barely discernible. This is very easy to make if you have a food processor. There are folks who insist it is more flavorful if made in a mortar and pestle. I leave the method up to you. Here's the recipe.

Pasta with Pungent Parsley Pesto...from the kitchen of One Perfect bite, inspired by Patricia Wells

Ingredients:
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained and minced
3 cups loosely packed Italian parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound capellini
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
1) Combine garlic, salt, anchovies and parsley in bowl of a food processor. Pulse 2 or 3 times, or until the sauce is well-mixed. Scrape down sides of bowl. While machine is running, add lemon juice and olive oil in a slow stream. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2) Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of salt and return to a boil. Add capellini and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of water, and transfer to a very large bowl. Add 3/4 of pesto to pasta and toss to coat strands evenly. Add water by tablespoons if it seems to dry. Cover bowl for 1 minute. Toss again and add oil to moisten pasta. Transfer pasta to serving bowls, adding a spoonful of reserved pesto to each bowl. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipe:
Pasta Puttanesca - One Perfect Bite
Capellini Capricciosi - One Perfect Bite
Fusilli with Fennel, Sausage and Wine - One Perfect Bite