Crispy Dried Shrimp Stir-Fry with Nuts
How to Make Dried Shrimp Stir-Fry: Extra Nutty and Delicious with Plenty of Nuts!
A delightful side dish that’s both sweet and savory, featuring flavorful dried shrimp and the satisfying crunch of nuts. This dish was so addictive that my son and husband couldn’t stop reaching for more! Let’s make this delicious dried shrimp stir-fry today.
Main Ingredients
- 50g dried flower shrimp (body only, heads can be used separately)
- 30g mixed nuts (e.g., almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, etc.)
Sweet & Savory Sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp corn syrup (or rice syrup)
- 1 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- Sesame seeds, to taste
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp corn syrup (or rice syrup)
- 1 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- Sesame seeds, to taste
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the main ingredients. You’ll need 50g of dried flower shrimp, ensuring only the bodies are present. (The reserved heads can be ground into shrimp powder and used to add depth to soups and stews!) Next, add 30g of your favorite nuts for a delightful crunch. Any nuts will do – almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or even a store-bought mix. (Tip: I used a bag of Starbucks’ ‘Crunchy Nuts & Blueberries’ that I had at home.)
Step 2
Place the prepared dried shrimp bodies into a sieve and gently shake them. This helps remove any residual powder or small fragments, ensuring a cleaner final dish.
Step 3
Now, let’s make the delicious sweet and savory sauce! In a measuring cup or bowl, combine 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp mirin, and 1 Tbsp corn syrup. Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved. This mixture will form the flavorful base for your dried shrimp stir-fry.
Step 4
Preheat a pan over medium-low heat. Add the cleaned dried shrimp and stir-fry for about 5 minutes. You’ll notice their color becoming slightly lighter as they crisp up. This step helps to remove any fishy smell and enhance their texture. Once the shrimp start to change color slightly, add the prepared nuts to the pan.
Step 5
Continue stir-frying for another 3 minutes after adding the nuts. Be careful not to burn the nuts while ensuring they are well combined with the shrimp. After stir-frying, transfer the shrimp and nuts onto a plate lined with paper towels or parchment paper. Spread them out evenly and let them cool slightly. This prevents them from clumping together and helps maintain their crispiness.
Step 6
It’s time to thicken the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and pour the prepared sweet and savory sauce into the pan. Let it simmer gently until it thickens to a consistency similar to caramel sauce. Avoid high heat, as the sauce can burn easily. Once the sauce has reached the desired thickness, add the cooled dried shrimp and nuts back into the pan. Stir-fry quickly to ensure they are evenly coated with the sauce.
Step 7
When the sauce has evenly coated the shrimp and nuts, giving them a glossy finish, turn off the heat. Finally, sprinkle with sesame seeds for an extra nutty aroma. Your delicious dried shrimp and nut stir-fry is ready! Wasn’t that easy?
Step 8
The finished dried shrimp and nut stir-fry offers a wonderfully crispy yet chewy texture, with a perfectly balanced sweet, savory, and nutty flavor that gets even better with each bite!
Step 9
Enjoy this dish as a fantastic side for your rice, or as a simple yet satisfying snack with a cold beer. It’s a crowd-pleaser for all ages, so be sure to give it a try!
