Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato Leaves and Prawns In Coconut Milk

This deliciously-spicy dish, commonly known as Masak Lemak in Malay, is popular to most Malaysians, if not all.

Ingredients:

Sweet potato leaves (pluck out the good leaves, washed and drained)

1-2 pieces orange sweet potato (peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces, steamed and set aside)

8-10 pieces of prawns (remove shells with tail intact and deveined - you can use whole prawns with head)

1/2 bowl water (add more if needed)

Coconut milk (amount depending on your preference)

Ingredients to blend/pound:

1/2 tbsp. shrimp paste/belacan

1/2 tbsp. ground tumeric

4 pcs. shallots (peeled and roughly cut)

3 cloves garlic (peeled and roughly cut)

3 chili padi (remove some of the seeds)

1/2 tbsp. dried prawns (washed, soaked and drained)

Seasoning:

1/2 tsp. chicken stock granules - to taste

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. fish sauce

Methods:

1. In a heated wok, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, saute the pounded ingredients till fragrant.
2. Add in steamed sweet potato, stir for a minute.  Add in prawns, lightly stir, then add in water, seasoning and potato leaves, and stir to mix.
3. Once it comes to a boil, taste for correct seasoning.  Add in coconut milk and stir to mix.  Switch off the heat once it comes to another boil.  
4. Do not close the lid so that the potato leaves will continue to stay green.
5. Dish into a large bowl.
6. Enjoy with freshly cooked white rice.

This recipe is adapted from 'Mom's Cuisine' with some adjustments to suit my cooking preference.