Recipe Notes:

• You could substitute red chili with bird eye chili if you prefer.

• Deshelled prawns should be quickly and lightly fried in a very hot oil to retain their moisture. Cooking too long will result in a harder, drier, and rubbery prawn.

• Butter has a low smoke point and is best to be cooking under low heat to avoid them from burning.

INGREDIENTS FOR CREAMY BUTTER PRAWN

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(Serves 3-4 peoples)

✅️ 8 Whole Prawns (±650 g)

✅️ 200ml Evaporated Milk 

✅️ 100ml Plain Water 

✅️ 50g Unsalted Butter

✅️ ±40g Grated Cheddar Cheese 

✅️ ½ Tsp Plain Flour

✅️ ¼ Tsp Salt

✅️ 1 Tsp Garlic Powder

✅️ 2 Tbsp Corn Flour

✅️ 1 Tsp Curry Powder

✅️ 3 stalks Curry Leaves 

✅️ 1 Whole Red Chili

✅️ 500ml Cooking Oil (for frying)

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

1. Add salt, garlic powder, corn flour and curry powder into a bowl. Stir the mixture to mix thoroughly and set the bowl aside.

2. Slice the red chili thinly, about 3mm thick. Keep only the flesh and discard the seeds.

3. To prepare the prawns:

• Cut off the front portion of the prawn's head, just below its eyes with a pair of scissors. Then cut off all the legs below its head.

• Cut the top part of the prawn's shell starting from just below its head and cut all the way to the last section just before its tail. Peel and discard the prawn's shell leaving the head and tail intact.

• Cutting the prawn's shell with a pair of scissors will also cut its flesh at the same time and exposing its intestinal tract. Gently pull the intestinal tract away to remove the part of the intestine connected to the tail. Then gently pull the intestinal tract away to remove the part of the intestine connected to the head.

• Hold the prawn's head and use a teaspoon to scoop out and discard the yellow and brown stuff inside its head.

• Hold the prawn with its top facing up and run a sharp knife along its back to make a cut midway into its flesh. Transfer the prepared prawns into a basin.

• Each prawn to have a quick rinse under a running tap to remove all the impurities. Drain any excess water after rinsing but do not wipe the prawns.

4. Add all the prawns into the bowl containing the corn flour mixture prepared earlier. Flip and turn the prawns in the bowl. The moisture on the prawns will allow each prawn to coat well with the mixture.

5. Heat the cooking oil in a pot over HIGH heat until it is very hot. Dip a wooden chopstick into the oil. The oil is very hot when it starts bubbling steadily.

Reduce heat to MEDIUM. Fry the prawns for about 2 mins or until they turned golden in color. Fry them in small batches at any one time. As the prawns have been deshelled, they should be quickly and lightly fried to retain their moisture. The frying time varies depending on the size of the prawn. Reduce the time to 1 or 1½ mins if smaller size prawns are used.

Transfer the lightly fried prawns to a strainer and keep them aside. Ensure that the oil is heated back to very hot again before frying the next batch. Repeat this until all the prawns are fried.

6. Add the butter and curry leaves to a pan and heat over the LOWEST heat setting. Pan fry the curry leaves until they are dry and crispy. Pan frying the curry leaves with butter over LOWEST heat this way will avoid the butter from burning.

Add the sliced chili prepared earlier to the pan. Pan fry the sliced red chili together with the curry leaves for about 30 sec. Transfer the curry leaves and red chili into a bowl and keep them aside.

Add plain flour to the pan. Stir the flour until small bubbles appear. Add evaporated milk and plain water to the pan. Stir the mixture over MEDIUM heat for about 2 mins, until they are combined well.

Add grated cheddar cheese to the pan. Reduce heat to LOW and continuously stirring the mixture until all the cheese are melted and the liquid reached a creamy sauce consistency. The sauce should be thick yet runny with a creamy consistency. Be careful not to over reduce as the sauce will further thicken as it cools.

7. Add the lightly fried prawns, curry leaves and red chili prepared earlier to the pan. Shake the pan so that the prawns are coated generously with the sauce. Flip the prawns to coat on the other side. Quickly shake the pan again to allow the prawns to coat generously with the sauce and then switch the heat OFF. Creamy Butter Prawn are best enjoyed warm.

RECIPE PHOTO GALLERY