Chilli Sotong Goreng

source: Joy of Cooking series - Traditional Nyonya Cuisine

Ingredients:

500g Sotong/Prawns
12 cloves shallots
10 dried chillies
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tbsp shrimp paste
1/2 inch galangal
1/2 inch turmeric
1 thumb-sized tamarind
4 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Wash the sotong and remove the eyes and stomach. Pound shallots, dried chillies, garlic, shrimp paste, galangal and turmeric together. Mix tamarind with half a cup of water.
2. Heat up oil and fry the sotong until cooked. Remove.
3. Add in more oil and fry the pounded ingredients until fragrant.
4. Add in tomato paste, sugar, salt and tamarind juice to cook until the gravy thickens.
5. Lastly, add in the sotong and mix well with the gravy.

Since I was on a 'cooking' holiday, my Mum was the one who cooked the dish. Admittedly we didn't have any galangal and she used fresh chillies instead of dried chillies and she forgot to put in the tomato paste. I think with the additions of dried chillies and tomato paste the dish would've been richer. But what she cooked was nice as well. We also added some round green Thai eggplants. Her version wasn't all that spicy, believe it or not, Caelyn loved eating the squid! And she loved the sauce with her rice. Unbelievable!