Cereal prawns

Cereal prawns are the dish that tells you whether a zi char stall knows what it is doing. Crisp shrimp, a drift of buttery toasted cereal, curry leaves and enough chilli to keep things interesting. It works in two stages: fry the shrimp first, then build the cereal in the same wok and bring the two together at the end.

Shell on is the original method. The shell shields the flesh from the heat of the oil and carries a lot of the flavour. The loose cereal at the bottom of the platter is the part everyone fights over, so make more than you think you need.

Shrimp

• 500 g PhycoNor red legged shrimp, shell on, heads on or off
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Neutral oil for shallow frying, about 3 cm depth in a wok

Cereal mix

• 1 cup (about 80 g) Nestum original cereal
• 1 tbsp milk powder
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled, or 1 tbsp chicken stock powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Pinch of white pepper

Aromatics

• 80 g butter
• 6 to 8 sprigs fresh curry leaves, leaves picked
• 3 to 5 birds eye chillies, thinly sliced

1. Set up the coating station. Mix the flour, cornflour and salt on a plate. Put the beaten egg in a shallow bowl. Combine all the cereal ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.
2. Coat the shrimp. Working with half the shrimp at a time, dip in egg, let the excess drip off, then roll in the flour mix and shake off what does not stick. You want a light dusting, not a thick batter.
3. Fry. Heat the oil in a wok over medium high heat until a pinch of flour sizzles on contact. Fry the shrimp in a single layer for 30 to 45 seconds per side, until the shells turn orange and the coating is crisp. Lift onto a rack. Repeat with the second batch, then pour off the oil and wipe the wok clean.
4. Toast the cereal. Return the wok to medium heat and melt the butter. Once it foams, add the curry leaves and chilli and toss for 10 to 15 seconds until fragrant. Add the cereal mix and stir constantly for about 2 minutes until golden. Keep it moving, because the sugar and milk powder catch quickly.
5. Toss. Return the shrimp to the wok and toss for about a minute until every piece is coated. Taste the cereal and adjust with salt or sugar. It should be buttery and savoury with a light sweetness behind it.
6. Serve straight away, with all the loose cereal scraped over the top.

• Peeled shrimp work, but cut the frying time down.
• Nestum is the right cereal here. Rolled oats and granola turn soggy within minutes.
• For something less rich, drop the butter to 60 g and make up the volume with a tablespoon of the frying oil.