ผัดผริกหยวกใส่กุง (Pad Prik Yuak sai Goong)
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First published on February 6, 2015
Recipe by W. Tipsuwan
These beautiful pale green chilies, known as Prik Yuak (ผริกหยวก) in Thailand, are often called banana peppers or wax peppers elsewhere. They have a mild sweet flavor, and sometimes just a hint of spiciness, though not at all like our hot chilies. They can grow quite long, and you'll often find them dishes where the chilies are stuffed with various ingredients. However, they are so delicious that they stand out as the main ingredient, as they do in this simple but delicious stir fried shrimp dish. It's quite easy to make with just a few easy ingredients. If you don't have Prik Yuak, many other types of locally available sweet peppers can be substituted, no problem.
I always make this Thailand style by leaving the heads on the shrimp. This time I've selected about 8 - 10 medium sized, but really you can do this with any shrimp that you have available and it will come out great. The ratio of shrimp to peppers can vary. I generally use a lot more peppers, as this dish is "stir fried peppers with shrimp added", so whatever meat you use is up to you. Pork or chicken is also really good. Just use the same ratio of sauces.
The other ingredients are widely available. It's just sweet peppers, any time will do. The sauces are oyster, fish, and light soy. Some sugar, and just a dash of white pepper.
I carefully peel the shell and main legs from the body, leaving the head and tail on. This takes a little practice. You can remove it all and clean the shrimp however you like them. Thai people expect to see the heads on shrimp, even if they don't eat them. Not everybody does.
Next I remove the main intestine vein, then wash out the shrimp head really well, getting rid of all the mess that is between the meaty tail and the eyes.
Slice the peppers on a diagonal, cut the green onion, chop the garlic.
In a wok or large frying pan, heat the oil over low to medium flame, then add the garlic to the oil. Cook it slowly for 30 seconds, so it doesn't burn.
Next add the shrimp and toss them in the garlic gently, keeping the heat low. Just let them cook for about a minute in the garlic.
After the shrimp have turned mostly pink and white, they're just about done. Now add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, light soy sauce, ground white pepper, and sugar. Stir it in carefully until well blended.
Add the peppers and green onion. Stir in and toss in the sauces until well blended. Add a little water, if the pan seems dry, just a bit to make a little gravy. The peppers do not need to cook completely, as the heat will continue cooking them on the plate and they will get softer. Just cook for about a minute, then remove from the heat
Serve on a plate or platter if sharing as part of a meal, or over a nice portion of Thai Jasmine rice for a satisfying one-dish meal.
No garnish needed - Enjoy!