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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Malaysian Tamarind Shrimp

4 Servings

50 minutes 20 minutes active

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Known as assam heh in Malaysia, this speedy stir-fry packs tons of umami, as well as salty, sour and fruity notes. Our version was inspired by one taught to us by Pearly Kee, proprietor of Penang Homecooking School and author of “A Nyonya Inheritance.” We favor peeled shrimp, but unpeeled work well, too, as the shells capture the sauce; they require just an extra minute or so in the pan. We replaced the kecap manis—a type of sweet soy sauce—with regular soy plus brown sugar to mimic its dark, caramel flavor. Look for tamarind sold as a dark, firm block packed in plastic; it might be labeled “wet” or “seedless,” but will require both hydrating and straining. Serve with coconut rice and spicy sambal.

4

Servings

Tip

Don’t pour the tamarind mixture directly onto the shrimp in the wok. Drizzle it down the sides of the pan. This quickly heats the mixture so it rapidly reduces to a thin, saucy glaze before the shrimp overcook.

50 minutes

20 minutes active

Ingredients

  • ¼

    cup tamarind pulp

  • ½

    cup boiling water

Directions

Reviews
Susan G.
October 3, 2023
Very flavorful, worth the time
Not sure if I'm just slow or have too much time on my hands, but this required more than 50 minutes to prepare and serve. But the recipe was definitely worth it! I happen to have everything needed on hand, including tamarind pulp and Fresno peppers from the garden. I made everything, including the coconut rice and red chili and shallot sambal, to accompany the shrimp. My husband and I both really enjoyed this recipe.
Kristi R.
February 7, 2025
Much to salty
This recipe was a total fail for me. Salty enough to be inedible, even over a bed of rice. And I omitted the extra salt because anything with soy is usually enough. Very expensive fail. I rinsed off the shrimp the next day for lunch to try to save the effort.

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