Street Food-Style Prawn Balls

Good Pair Days (Roos Michels) -
  • 300g king prawns, raw and peeled
  • 1 tsp groundnut oil
  • 1 tsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp grated ginger
  • 50g tinned bamboo shoots, finely chopped
  • 100g sesame seeds
  • Oil for deep frying
  • Dipping sauces, to serve
  • After cleaning the prawns, very finely chop ⅔ of the prawns and cut the other ½ into 1cm cubes. Mix the oyster sauce, groundnut oil and sesame oil, bamboo shoots, and ginger in a pestle and mortar or quickly pulse in a food processor to make a paste. Stir in the finely chopped and cubed prawns, then leave in the fridge for about an hour.
  • Preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180C or heat a wok of oil to sizzling temperature. Make the balls by shaping spoonfuls into about 18 balls with damp hands. Roll each ball in sesame seeds, then drop into the hot oil for 3-4 mins, or until golden and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with dipping sauces.
30 mins
Makes 18-20