Instructions: MARINATING: Break tamarind apart, place in a small saucepan with water. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or until pasty coating separates from seeds.

Press through a sieve or food mill to extract all pulp and soupy liquid. Discard seeds. Rinse shrimps thoroughly, pat dry and marinate fro 1 hour with 1 tablespoon of this tamarind liquid, the oyster sauce and hot chili sauce. COOKING: Meanwhile, cut young ginger into toothpick-sized slivers. If using mature ginger, peel and sliver. Peel and sliver garlic.

Place blachan in a non-stick pan and heat gently fro 3 to 4 minutes to develop the flavors. Pell and cut red onions into wedges. Combine oyster, soy and chili sauces with blachan; stir into remaining tamarind liquid. Heat a large wok over high heat. When a drop of water sizzles immediately into steam pour in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Swirl up sides of wok, and when just at smoking point, dump in ginger and garlic.

Stir fry until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Adding more oil as needed, stir frey shrimp in batches until orange red, about 3 minutes. Pour sauces over all the shrimp in the wok and cook at a brisk bubble over high heat until shrimps are aromatic and sauces have reduced and thickened to enrobe the shells, about 8 minutes. Mix in sugar and onion wedges, taste to adjust seasoning, sweetening and spiciness.

Makes
plenty for 6 as a principal dish with rice, enough for 8 with other dishes.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.