Bringing to you these delectable Coconut Prawns. With a crisp outside and a juicy inside, these prawns are perfection. The prawns are dipped in seasoned flour and then breaded with panko and desiccated coconut. Serve these crispy juicy prawns with sweet chilli dip or with some fried rice. Which ever way you eat them, you are guaranteed a festival of flavours.
If I have to choose a starter from a menu and it has prawns on it, there is a 90% chance I will be picking this. As outings have been almost non existent for the last year, I like to treat myself quite frequently to a prawn dish. Crispy coconut prawns have become a favourite of mine. At least twice a month, because I cannot seem to get enough, I make them. That’s how delicious these are. To make it even more special, I’ve started to make my own sweet Thai chilli dipping sauce. I will be sharing that recipe soon. For now let’s get into the making of these crispy coconut prawns.
So what goes into the Crispy Coconut Prawns
Prawns: Use large-size prawns or shrimp. I used 20/30 size prawns. They are so much meatier and so juicy. Smaller-sized prawns will work too.
Desiccated Coconut: This is the key ingredient. I used unsweetened coconut which has already been shredded and dried. It adds so much flavour to the prawns. When fried, coconut has a sweet nutty flavour.
Panko Breadcrumbs: These breadcrumbs are lighter, crispier and flakier than ordinary breadcrumbs. As panko is lighter, it absorbs less oil and keeps the prawns crispy.
Spices: Smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and salt add flavour and notes of heat and sweetness to the prawns.
Flour: To coat the prawns with. Use all purpose or plain flour.
Eggs: This helps bind the ingredients to the prawns.
How to make Crispy Coconut Prawns
Firstly peel and de-vein your prawns. Leave the tip of the tail on for presentation. Rinse and drain your prawns in a colander. If you want your prawns to have more of a curl, then butterfly them. To do this, use a sharp knife and make a deeper cut along the back of the prawn. Add flavour to your prawns by seasoning the flour with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and salt. Then mix together desiccated coconut and panko crumbs. If the panko crumbs are large, pulse in a blender into finer crumbs. Finally whisk 2 eggs with water. Then you can start coating your prawns.
To coat the prawns, first dredge in flour, then dip in the eggs mixture and then finally coat with the coconut mixture. To ensure the coating adheres to the prawns, I chill mine in the fridge for 1 hour.
To fry the prawns add enough oil at least 3 inches deep to a small – medium sized deep pot.
Heat the oil until it is hot. 325 F is the ideal temperature, I find for frying these coconut prawns. Fry them a few at a time for 2 minutes. I fry them in batches of 5. You don’t want to overcrowd the wok. If you did this, the prawns will be soggy and not crispy. Use a slotted spoon to lift the prawns from the oil and drain them on kitchen paper lined plate.
Tips for getting Crispy Prawns
Pat the prawns with paper towel to remove excess water.
Chill the prawns for 1 hour. This allows the coating to adhere better and not fall apart while frying.
Fry the prawns in small batches. Overcrowding the pan with result in your prawns being soggy and not crispy.
These prawns are so good and addicting. They are juicy, crispy, full of coconut flavour and delicious. Serve them with your favourite dip. I serve to have mine with a Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri.
Enjoy!!
For more prawn recipes check these out:
The best recipe ever!! It’s a hit with my customers