Dada Cooking

Recipes / Malaysian

Malaysian

Cucur Udang (Prawn Fritters)

Mix a thick batter of plain flour, rice flour, turmeric, egg and cold water, fold in small prawns, bean sprouts, onion and chives, then deep-fry spoonfuls at 180°C (350°F) for 3-4 minutes until golden; about 40 minutes for 4.

Cucur udang are the crunchy prawn fritters sold at Malaysian tea-time stalls: spoonfuls of a light, savoury batter packed with whole small prawns, bean sprouts, chives and onion, fried until golden and lacy at the edges. Rice flour mixed into the wheat flour keeps them crisp, and a short rest lets the batter thicken so it holds the vegetables. They are best eaten hot with a sweet chilli dipping sauce or a peanut sauce.

Golden, crispy cucur udang prawn fritters with whole prawns, chives and bean sprouts on a white plate, with a bowl of sweet chilli sauce Start cooking mode

Ingredients

Batter

  • 150 g (1 1/4 cups) plain flour
  • 50 g rice flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
  • 220 ml cold water
  • 1 egg

Filling

  • 250 g small prawns, peeled and deveined, tails on
  • 100 g bean sprouts, tailed
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 30 g Chinese chives, cut into 3 cm lengths
  • 1 red chilli, thinly sliced

For frying and serving

  • 750 ml cooking oil, for frying
  • 120 ml sweet chilli sauce

Method

  1. Whisk the flour, rice flour, baking powder, turmeric, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in the water and egg to make a smooth, thick batter, like pancake batter.
  2. Cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
  3. Pat the prawns dry with paper towel. Stir the bean sprouts, onion, chives and chilli into the batter, then fold in the prawns.
  4. Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan to 180°C (350°F); a drop of batter should sizzle and float straight away.
  5. Scoop up a heaped tablespoon of batter with 2–3 prawns and slide it into the oil. Fry 5–6 fritters at a time for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp all over.
  6. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on a rack or paper towel. Bring the oil back to temperature between batches.
  7. Serve hot with the sweet chilli sauce.

Tips

  • Extra crisp: use ice-cold water and fry again for 1 minute just before serving.
  • Small prawns: chop larger prawns into 2–3 pieces so the fritters cook through evenly.
  • Vegetarian: leave out the prawns and add 100 g grated carrot and 50 g sweet corn.
  • Storage: they soften as they cool. Reheat leftovers in an oven at 200°C (400°F) for 6–8 minutes.

Questions

What is cucur udang?

Malaysian prawn fritters: spoonfuls of a light, savoury batter with whole small prawns, bean sprouts, chives and onion, fried until golden and crisp.

How do I keep cucur udang crispy?

Use rice flour in the batter, ice-cold water and oil hot enough at 180°C (350°F). Drain on a rack, and re-fry for 1 minute just before serving.

What do you eat cucur udang with?

Sweet chilli sauce is the usual dip; a peanut sauce or a spicy chilli and vinegar dip also works.

Can I make cucur udang without prawns?

Yes. Leave out the prawns and add grated carrot and sweet corn for a vegetable fritter.

Is this cucur udang halal?

The recipe is pork-free and lists no alcohol. It is not halal-certified: use halal-certified ingredients and check the labels on the sweet chilli sauce.

A Dada Cooking original recipe. Quantities are metric first, with US amounts in brackets.