Sambal Prawns With Stink Beans

Stink beans or Petai as Malaysians called them petai.  I started eating stink beans when I was 7 yrs old, and that is the time when I had my first taste of chilli.  Thus anything that is cooked with chilli has become my favourite.  My grandma was the first to introduce me and my brothers to spicy food.  And needless to say stink bean is the favourite of the family.  Whenever there are petai or stink beans sold in the market, be assured that we will be served this dish for our dinner.  That was the only time when the whole family sits together to have our meal.  

My grandma cooked the stink beans in simple style.  Just with dried shrimps and the pounded rempah that consists of serai, toasted belacan, dried chillies, fresh turmeric and shallots.  Simple and yet delicious.  With no assam paste, this taste good too.  Today , I will share my grandma simple sambal prawns with stink beans that can be served as side dish to nasi lemak and fried vermicelli. This is really good and I am sure you will want to cook this simple sambal prawns with stink beans for your family.

I bought 6 papan for RM9 from Tesco

 no worms , so worth it though it could

have been cheaper if I had bought from the orang Asli :p

this is how I cut open the skin of the stink bean,

cut a slit right across vertically and push out the bean

 red onions added for extra oomph

hubby loves red onions in his sambal petai

with just this one dish, I can have second helping

of rice :p

Sambal Prawns With Stink Beans

ingredients:

6 papan / stalks of stink beans - cut open and cut the beans into halves - wash and soak in cold water for extra crunch
1 large red onion - sliced
10 pieces of med sized sea prawns - remove shell, leave the tail intact
1/4 cup of dried shrimp - soak and pound coarsely
4 tbsp of rice bran oil or any vegetable oil
a pinch of salt and sugar for taste
1/4 cup of water

rempah paste for pounding

a handful of dried chilli ( if you want more heat, add more) - soak, and remove seeds
10 shallots
3/4 inch sq toasted belacan
1/2 thumb fresh turmeric
1 stalk of serai - sliced

Method:

Heat up oil in wok,  add in rempah and stir fry till fragrant, add in the pounded dried shrimps and continue to stir fry for another 15 mins till fragrant.  Add in 1/4 cup of water and continue to cook  till the rempah has thicken, add in the, sea prawns,  petai / stink beans and sliced onions, salt and sugar to taste. Continue to stir fry till the  prawns and stink beans are cooked through .  Dish up and serve.

Note: you can keep some in air tight container and serve as side dish for your fried noodles. Can keep a week in the fridge.

 Enjoy !