My son Virag ate a version of this dish almost every day during his teenage years, mostly with chicken. He tells me he has figured out a version to cook for himself in his bachelor days. It uses my favorite Indonesian chili sauce Sambhal Olek, which is just pure ground chilis and a rich thick caramel like sweet soy sauce, also Indonesian called Ketcup Manis. The shrimp version is my favorite ~ the shrimp cooks with the vegetables and imparts lots of flavor!
Serves 2 to 3
ingredients
2 tablespoons peanut or sesame oil
1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick wheels
2 celery stalks , sliced into 1/4-inch thick diagonal pieces
1 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small red onion, sliced (optional)
2 tablespoons Sambal Oelek
1 tablespoon ABC Sweet Soy Sauce
Salt to taste
Cilantro or basil for garnish
instructions
In a large wok or deep frying pan, heat the oil and add the carrots. Lower the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and let the carrots cook for 4 to 5 minutes until they are soft.
Raise the heat of the pan again, add the celery and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the celery is slightly cooked.
Add the raw shrimp and red onion continue cooking on high heat, stirring rapidly. Taste for salt. Add the Sambal Oelek and soy sauce and within two minutes, turn the heat off. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Even if some of the shrimp appear to be under cooked, they will finish cooking while resting.
Serve garnished with herbs.
notes & variations
When adding the two sauces, add a tablespoon of peanut butter or chopped peanuts for added flavor.
Add 2 to 3 cups of chopped spinach or watercress leaves to the stir fry before turning the heat off.
Sambal Oelek is a fresh ground chile paste and the sweet soy sauce is made by ABC (Heinz) brand.
To make with chicken instead of shrimp, add one breast of sliced chicken and sauté it with the celery at high heat for a golden color.
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