Prawns in Tamarind Sauce

Is there such a thing as a 'typical' Thai dish? Given the varied cuisines of Thailand's different provinces it's hard to put your finger on just one. However, in the realm of seafood perhaps prawns in tamarind sauce would be a good choice of culinary ambassador for the kingdom. The tamarind tree is ubiquitous to southern Thailand and prawns are an extremely popular choice of food. Chef Gonkiat of Krabi's Nakamanda Resort shows us how to rustle them up.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serve: 1 portion

Ingredients

White prawns: 200g
Tamarind sauce: 200 cc
Fried shallots: 50g
Chopped onion: 50g
Spring onion: 30g
Fried dried Thai chilli: 50g
Palm sugar: 20g
Cooking oil: 20cc
Salt and pepper: 10g

Method

• Clean and cut the white prawns down the back and rub in salt and pepper. Deep-fry them and then set them aside.
• Heat the pan until the oil is hot, add the chopped onion, tamarind sauce and palm sugar. Stir them all together and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Put the deep-fried prawns in the pan, mixing them with the other ingredients. Do this fast so that the prawn flesh does not get hard, then remove from the heat.
• Pour the prawns and sauce out onto a plate, then arrange the prawns pleasingly. Put the spring onion on top and decorate the plate with the fried shallots fried dried chillis.

Meet the chef

When did you start work at Nakamanda Resort?

I’m new here. I moved to Krabi just a month ago from the Sofitel Bangkok Silom. I moved here because I’m originally from the south – from Trang province, which is not far from Krabi.

When did you start cooking ?

I have been working in kitchens since 1993. I spent many years overseas working and gaining experience before returning to work in Thailand.

What is the best part of being a chef?

Having the experience and the knowledge to be able to think outside of the box.

What is your favorite dish to eat?

I like fish. All fish dishes are good for your health.

What is your No 1 priority at work?

Being clean at all times; cleanliness is at the heart of my profession.

If you weren’t a chef, what other career would you follow?

I can’t imagine doing anything else because I’ve always been a chef. I started cooking a long time ago and I really love doing it. Let me think… maybe a food supplier who recommends good food and good products to customers.