Recipe: Spaghetti with spicy prawn sambal (Raya Special)

The idea to pair spicy sambal prawns and spaghetti first came about when I was brainstorming and thinking of what dish would be best to cook in 1 hour during the Asian Food Channel's first Foodie Face-Off in KL. The theme for the competition was "Raya celebration". Even though I couldn't go in the end (I was concurrently participating in Cuisine Explored competition organised by Le Meridien KL), I decided to test out this recipe which I had concocted in my head in my own kitchen.

Spaghetti with spicy prawn sambal

It is common for many chefs nowadays to pair Asian and Western components together in a dish. I decided to go with a fusion dish, adding a Malaysian twist to a classic Italian ingredient, pasta. Presenting to you, Baby Sumo's spaghetti with spicy prawn sambal.

In my usual prawn sambal recipe, the onions are simply sliced into rings. But for this pasta dish, the onions need to be very fine, so that it can coat the pasta strands once cooked. The onions and garlic are placed into a food processor and blitzed until fine, then cooked with the chilli paste (cili giling) to form the base for the prawn sambal. For texture and appearance, I decided to add lightly toasted cashewnuts. Fresh mint is added as a finishing touch.

If I may say so myself, this is an absolutely brilliant recipe! Every mouthful of this pasta was bursting with flavour. A little heat from the spicy sambal, followed by the cooling effect from the mint leaf, crunch from the toasted cashewnuts, fresh bouncy prawns and slurp-worthy strands of spaghetti pasta makes this simply delightful to eat. I couldn't help but go for a second helping of pasta ;)

If you're thinking of serving something out of the box for Raya, this would be perfect. Easy to prepare and full of flavour, this is a dish that will impress.

I want to eat this again! A nice balance of textures and flavours.

Spaghetti with spicy prawn sambal
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
300g spaghetti
3 onions, peeled
1 bulb garlic, peeled
4-5 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp cili giling
1 tsp light soy sauce, to taste
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules (optional)
20 king prawns, peeled and deveined, tails intact

To garnish
A few sprigs of fresh mint
30g cashewnuts
1/2 tsp canola oil
Salt


1. Firstly, lightly toast the cashewnuts in a large wok over medium low heat, for about 5-6 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon oil and stir to coat. Remove from heat onto a kitchen towel and sprinkle some salt. Set aside.

2. In a food processor, place the onions and garlic and blitz until fine. If you do not have a food processor, you can just chop it finely using a knife.

3. Cook spaghetti according to manufacturer's instruction in a large pot of salted water, until al dente. Drain and put under cold running water to stop the pasta from cooking. Set aside.

4. In the wok, heat the oil over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add the onions and garlic (from Step 2) and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onions have started to soften. Add the cili giling, and fry for another 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until fragrant. Season with light soy sauce and chicken stock granules.

5. Add the prawns and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until cooked. Add the pasta and give it a quick stir, to coat each strand with the sambal sauce.

6. To serve: Using a two-pronged carving fork, swirl some of the pasta around the fork. Slide the pasta off the fork and mound it in the center of a plate. Repeat for each serving. Divide 5 prawns per plate, then sprinkle with cashewnuts Top with mint leaves. Serve immediately.

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