Shrimp/prawn chips and other kerapuk

[MetsFan5]

Growing up, my favorite, now closed Chinese place would send every delivery order with what I associate with my childhood- multi colored crisps that they called ' shrimp chips'. They were delectable pieces of crispiness that would melt in your mouth like a bit of the sea. In a rainbow of colors, white, pink, orange; the colors didn't change the taste. Unfortunately that Chinese restaurant has closed and none in my area offer these sweet yet savory treats. Does anyone have a solid online recommendation? I know they are loaded with MSG and salt but damn do I want some quality tasty chips!! Amazon wells a wide selection but I would like something simple and tasty and would buy in bulk.

Any advice is very much appreciated. I cannot make my own as I do not even have a functioning kitchen as it is under construction.

[cdh]

You're asking about these? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prawn_cracker

[Lisa Shock]

I have seen them at asian markets, but, they need to be deep fried. They generally come in smallish bags, less than a pound.

[Anna N]

Or if you were really ambitious you could make your own

click

[MetsFan5]

Yes CDH, those are what I'm looking for.

Anna, maybe once I have a kitchen I might attempt to make them!

[cdh]

I think Lisa is on the right track--  I've never seen them sold pre-puffed.  Only as little starch pucks that puff up when you deep fry them.  Doesn't look like something you can do without a kitchen... unless you want to experiment with the microwave method that the wiki article mentions... if your not-kitchen-yet has a microwave.

[heidih]

While you are kitchen-less you might give some of the packaged ones that are ready to eat a try. Most Asian markets have a good variety at low prices. I'm partial to the taste of the Calbee brand. Here is a link to a Serious Eats taste test of some common ones http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/08/taste-test-asian-shrimp-lobster-crab-chips.html

[Anna N]

While you are kitchen-less you might give some of the packaged ones that are ready to eat a try. Most Asian markets have a good variety at low prices. I'm partial to the taste of the Calbee brand. Here is a link to a Serious Eats taste test of some common ones http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/08/taste-test-asian-shrimp-lobster-crab-chips.html

I was in a Dutch store today and they had both the ready-to-eat and the must-be-cooked versions of the shrimp crackers. I would not have thought of these as being a Dutch product but I believe it's because of the Indonesian link.

[GlorifiedRice]

 

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Diamond-Flavored-Colored-Shrimp/dp/B00M3BZHRK/

[Okanagancook]

I took an Indonesian cookery session awhile back.  We went to the grocery to look at ingredients and then cooked a meal.  Included were the Komodo style shrimp chips.  They are big and quite thick but the only ingredient is shrimp.  The instructor showed us how to cook them.  She put the wok on medium high because you don't want to colour the chips with too high a temp.  She put about 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok until hot.  She had the chip held in a pair of tongs with a long spoon in the other hand.  She put the chip in part of the oil and basted it with the hot oil until the chip puffed up to triple it's starting size.  It was a little greasy but we wiped them down with paper towels.  Beats using a wok full of oil.

[liuzhou]

These are the uncooked crackers as sold in my local supermarket (very occasionally). They are about 1 inch in diameter.

 

 

And here they are cooked. 

 

 

That said, few of my friends here in China know what they are, and I have never in 20 years been served them in any restaurant in China.

 

Most people think prawn crackers are these.

 

[dcarch]

Try this folks.

 

Get rice noodles, or rice sheets/paper and soak in water with some fish sauce and whatever seasoning you like. Dry them completely 100%. Add food coloring, if that turns you on.

 

Fry at 385 F  to 400 F.

 

Don't make too much. they really puff up huge.

 

dcarch

[MetsFan5]

While you are kitchen-less you might give some of the packaged ones that are ready to eat a try. Most Asian markets have a good variety at low prices. I'm partial to the taste of the Calbee brand. Here is a link to a Serious Eats taste test of some common ones http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/08/taste-test-asian-shrimp-lobster-crab-chips.html

Thanks, that was very helpful! I will look for the Calbee brand at my local Asian grocery store.

I will try my hand at making them, perhaps with a pre- made mix once I have a kitchen with walls and appliances! Although I think I will buy a deep fryer- I tend to be clumsy in general so a big pot of hot oil terrifies me.

[MetsFan5]

These are the uncooked crackers as sold in my local supermarket (very occasionally). They are about 1 inch in diameter.

 

 

And here they are cooked. 

 

 

That said, few of my friends here in China know what they are, and I have never in 20 years been served them in any restaurant in China.

 

Most people think prawn crackers are these.

 

Thanks Liuzhou, the ones you made (or I'm assuming your made) look exactly like the ones I ate and loved. They would vary in colors, but other than that, are identical. It's funny how random food items from childhood have been impacted into my mind. Chinese food was a treat (my father isn't a fan) and because my birthday is St. Patricks day I never was able to enjoy a Chinese meal on my birthday due to my Irish family being stubborn about tradition (and I still loathe corn beef and cabbage to this day).

[huiray]

What I have in my larder at the moment – a Vietnamese brand of shrimp chips, and also crab chips.  There are various other Vietnamese brands; also Malaysian, Thai, Indonesian, etc etc brands.  All available from "Asian" groceries and even Chinese groceries (at least in the USA) if they are worth their name.

 

 

As implied above, I've used various brands from various producers over the years.  These chips are commonplace not only in "Chinese takeouts & restaurants" in the USA or North America or UK or other places (both English-speaking and otherwise - e.g. the Netherlands and even Germany) but are widespread in SE Asia (of course) in both Chinese and non-Chinese communities.  I believe they are also found in places even like Hong Kong especially accompanying Cantonese-type (HK) crispy-skin roast chicken.  The latter is especially common in Chinese communities in SE Asia.

 

One does not need much oil, as Okanagancook has described above.  I typically puff these chips in no more than a couple of inches of oil in a small saucepan (maybe ~6 inches diameter) on my stove.  From what I read about BGEs - couldn't one just plop a small saucepan like that on the grill of the BGE? (I don't have one, so I'm wondering more than declaring)  One just turns over the chip after it puffs up (with chopsticks, e.g.) to "finish" on the other side.  20-30 seconds in all, if even that.  There are long chopsticks ("cooking chopsticks") if one felt the need for additional distance between oneself and the oil... (the pair of cooking chopsticks I have is 18 inches in length; but I just use a regular pair of bamboo ones)

 

The Malay communities in SE Asia (especially in Indonesia; in particular Malang (Java) is a center for such things) also have oxen/cow/water buffalo skin chips that behave the same way as shrimp chips, besides said shrimp chips and also fish chips etc.  Java in particular.  (The wikipedia article referenced above does touch upon Indonesia has having probably the widest array of these sort of chips)

 

[huiray]

Oh, I forgot - Palembang in Sumatera is also well-known for its krupuk.

[Jaymes]

Thanks Liuzhou, the ones you made (or I'm assuming your made) look exactly like the ones I ate and loved. They would vary in colors, but other than that, are identical. It's funny how random food items from childhood have been impacted into my mind. Chinese food was a treat (my father isn't a fan) and because my birthday is St. Patricks day I never was able to enjoy a Chinese meal on my birthday due to my Irish family being stubborn about tradition (and I still loathe corn beef and cabbage to this day).

Sign me up with the folks that associate shrimp chips more with Indonesian food rather than Chinese. And I've been buying and enjoying the ready-to-eat ones since I lived in Southeast Asia several decades back.

[Kerry Beal]

Actually - you can put a wok on the BGE - from there a couple of inches of oil - and Robert's your mother's brother.  

[MetsFan5]

Host's note: This post and the following discussion were split from Indonesian peanut sauce (sambal kacang) in RecipeGullet.

 

 

Between this and your current blog I am in awe! Now where did you get those shrimp chips? 

Edited August 9, 2023 by Smithy
Added host's note (log)

[KennethT]

3 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

Between this and your current blog I am in awe! Now where did you get those shrimp chips? 

I got them in the SE Asian grocery on Mulberry St.  You could also probably find them at teh Bangkok Center Grocery around the corner on Mosco St.  Also there's a couple of Indonesian grocers in Elmhurst that carry a wide variety of krupuk (crispy chip-like things), including shrimp ones.

[ElsieD]

@MetsFan5 Should you have a Dutch grocery close to you, they often have an Indonesian food section where you can find such items.  We have several such stores here that carry these chips.

[KennethT]

On 7/12/2023 at 3:40 AM, MetsFan5 said:

Between this and your current blog I am in awe! Now where did you get those shrimp chips? 

I am making this again for a little get-together we're having on our roof and I found the shrimp chips at my local HMart.

 

 

Made in Indonesia.

[MetsFan5]

6 hours ago, KennethT said:

I am making this again for a little get-together we're having on our roof and I found the shrimp chips at my local HMart.

 

 

Made in Indonesia.

Thanks! Let me know how they are. I found them online at umamicart.com and keep adding items to my cart! 

[KennethT]

28 minutes ago, MetsFan5 said:

Thanks! Let me know how they are. I found them online at umamicart.com and keep adding items to my cart! 

I'm opening the bag tomorrow and will let you know.

[KennethT]

On 8/5/2023 at 10:24 PM, MetsFan5 said:

Thanks! Let me know how they are. I found them online at umamicart.com and keep adding items to my cart! 

These are the same as we had before.  They're great.  I will say that once the bag is open, they don't last long. For one reason, we eat them way too fast, but after a several hours outside, they did absorb some humidity.  We have one more bag that I've hidden away for a nice surprise for my wife... she loves them!