stir-fried sambal matah prawns and tenderstem® broccoli

stir-fried sambal prawns with
tenderstem broccoli

So often you come home from a hard day at the coalface (or in my case, slaving over a hot laptop in my study) and really can't be bothered to cook. It is so tempting to let someone else do the work by ordering a takeaway. Yet this quick stir fry takes less time to cook than it does to order and wait for a takeaway to arrive. It is simple, healthy (packed full of Vitamin C) and utterly delicious; full of fragrant Asian flavours. This was also a good way for me to put some of my sambal matah to good use - a fragrant combination of chilli, lime, garlic and lemongrass is the perfect match for prawns and broccoli.

I had bought some tenderstem® broccoli from my local supermarket.Tenderstem® broccoli is a hybrid between broccoli and kai-lan, leafy Chinese kale, and has a mild sweet flavour, like broccoli but with a texture more like asparagus (although no relation!) It has the added bonus of being entirely edible, in that you can eat all of the stalk too - unlike traditional broccoli stems which can be a bit tough and fibrous. 

Serves 3
Skill level: Easy

ingredients:
200g king prawns, cooked
2 tbsp sambal matah
1 tbsp vegetable oil
150g tenderstem® broccoli
4 x spring onions, sliced (include both white and green parts)
water
2 tsp light soy sauce
juice of 1 x fresh lime

directions:

1. Take one teaspoon each of vegetable oil and lime juice and combine well with one tablespoon of the sambal matah. Add the prawns and stir well to ensure that the prawns are coated. Set aside while you prepare the broccoli.
2. Steam, boil or microwave the broccoli for about 2 to 3 minutes - don't overdo it, as the broccoli needs to still have a bit of bit to it. Drain, refresh under cold water and drain again.
3. Cut the heads of the broccoli from the stems. Chop the stems in half if particularly long or thick.
4. Heat a wok or large heavy-based frying pan over a high heat and add the remaining oil. Just before the oil gets to smoking temperature, lob in the chopped spring onions and cook for a minute before adding the rest of the sambal matah. Give this a stir and cook for about 1 minute. If there is any spare marinade on the prawns, tip this into the pan too.
5. Add about 1 tablespoon of water, soy sauce and lemon juice and cook for a minute. You may need to add a little more water as you need enough liquid to coat both the prawns and the broccoli although not so much that it is soupy!
6. Tip in the prawns and any residual marinade. Warm through for about 1 minute (as the prawns are already cooked).
7. Add the broccoli and stir well to combine. Cook for a further minute before serving with with steamed jasmine or basmati rice.

tips:

• If you don't have any tenderstem® broccoli then use traditional broccoli florets.
• Add a few asparagus spears or green beans.
• No sambal? Use a ready-made sambal or stir fry a few chillies with garlic and ginger for a bit of zing.