This dish, Hae Chee/Cucur Udang/Prawn Fritters is a nostalgic one for us. It's not the crispy type but we love them just the same. Of course, it is crispy up to half an hour after frying but every time we cook this; it is consumed within 5 mins of serving. Serve this with the accompanying chilli vinegar sauce for max flavor. This is the most delicious way of using Chinese chives. To make a vegetarian version, replace prawns with taro or sweet potato strips.

Recipe by Mama Ding

Total Time | 40 mins

Prep Time | 20 mins

Cook Time | 20 mins

Servings : 4 - 6

Ingredients

200 g (7 oz) white shrimps; heads removed, washed and drained, marinate with 1/2 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce for 10mins
100 g (1 cup) bean sprouts, washed and drained
1 bunch/80 g Chinese chives/kuchai, snipped into 2cm length
50 g carrot, grated (half a medium-sized carrot)
160 g (1 and 1/4 cup) all purpose flour
50g (1/3 cup) rice flour
20g (5 tsp) corn starch or tapioca starch
1 large egg, lightly beaten [replace with 2 tbsp water for vegetarian version]
1 cup water
1 chicken/anchovy stock cube (10g) [replace with 1/2 tsp salt for vegetarian version]
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp white pepper powder or to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method

01 In a big bowl, combine all the ingredients (except the oil for deep frying). Mix well with a pair of chopsticks or a spatula. You will get a thick mixture. It will get slightly watery as time passes. Don't rest the mixture, fry right away.

02 Heat enough oil in a wok/pot. When oil is really hot, reduce to medium high heat.

If using a ladle to fry, heat the metal ladle in the hot oil first. Scoop your prawn mixture into the hot ladle and slowly lower the whole ladle into the hot oil. After 1 minute, loosen the prawn fritter from the ladle. Turn after every 1 or 2 minutes for even browning.

Fry 2 or 3 fritters at a time. Do not crowd the wok/pot.

03 Remove from oil when golden brown. Drain on kitchen towels and serve hot.

Serve them with the dipping sauce (recipe below).

Notes

This dish is best cooked with small white prawns. Small white prawns have paper thin shells so there is no need to shell them. If you can get hold of geragau(tiny shrimps), it's perfect for this recipe. When using very small prawns or tiny shrimps, use them whole (including heads). If using bigger prawns, save the heads for making prawn stock. You can freeze them for use later.
Personally, I prefer frying these the freestyle way (without ladle). Just scoop a heaped tablespoon of prawn mixture with a large spoon and gently drop them into the hot oil. Frying this way will get you thinner fritters compared to frying in a ladle.

Dipping sauce recipe:
Chilli Vinegar Dipping Sauce
10 red chillies, roughly chopped
2 pips garlic
1/3 cup white vinegar/rice vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp boiled water
METHOD:
Blend all the ingredients together until fine. Taste and adjust sugar/salt/vinegar to taste. Blend again.
Pour into serving dish. Serve with HAE CHEE/CUCUR UDANG/PRAWN FRITTERS.