Prawn Crackers with Sticky Chilli Caramel ("Keropok Pedas")

Prawn crackers with sweet, spicy and sticky chilli caramel...it's hot hot hot!

I bought a packet of Indonesian raw prawn crackers last weekend and decided to fry them today, as a treat for the kids. Well, they deserve some unhealthy deep-fried snacks once in a while, and I loved eating these as a kid, so I wanted them to enjoy the same things I did! Of course, minus the chilli, for the next few years at least.

I decided to make a sweet and spicy chilli caramel to coat the crackers with. In Malaysia, you will often find chilli coated tapioca chips, but I've also tried the fish cracker version before (courtesy of my sister's friend) and it was delish! As I could only find prawn crackers at the asian grocery store, I figured that would do just as well.

So here's how I made the chilli caramel:

Ingredients

3-5 long red chillies, roughly chopped in a blender
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp golden syrup (optional)
1 tsp Lingham's chilli sauce (optional)
A little tamarind paste mixed with 2 tbsp water, sieved
1/2 tsp salt or to taste (I may have used more)

Method

Pour a little oil in a pan, just enough to coat it. On med-high heat, fry the chillies, then add sugar, syrup, chilli sauce and tamarind paste. Bring caramel to a boil, stirring frequently until it turns thick and sticky. Taste and check for seasoning. Then dip each cracker into the caramel and leave to cool on a plate before storing in an air-tight container.

Note: If you have leftover caramel, you can also use it on tortilla chips,  peanuts, cashews, toasted pita bread, ciabatta, baguette etc. Slice and grill the bread, then coat the crust with some of the chilli caramel. Yummms....