Welcome to Day 4 of cooking Soups and Stews for 7 Days! Today we are making my famous Shrimp Ball Stew that my guests always rave about. The shrimp balls are juicy and tender and cooked in a perfectly seasoned umami stock. It is also a super healthy dish that is easy to make at home.
The key to the perfect Shrimp Ball Stew has fresh prawns with the shell on. We will be using the shrimp’s body today to make the soup. By slowly toasting the shell, it will release natural umami flavor into the broth. We will also be mincing the shrimp today by hand. Whenever you buy shrimp paste at the store, it is always 40% flour; by making it yourself, you get 100% shrimp paste, which is healthier and alot tastier.
The soft tofu in the Shrimp Ball Stew completes the dish; it soaks in all the seafood flavor, making this dish perfect for serving with rice. I make this at all my family and friends gathering, and it is always a dish that everyone raves about. No one will ever believe how easy it is to make with simple, easy-to-source ingredients.
1.5 lb of Shrimp
3 Tomato
1 pack of Soft Tofu (cubed)
1 tbsp of Dashi Powder
1 tsp of White Pepper
1 Egg White
2 tsp of Corn Starch
- Peel the shrimp and set the shells on the side.
- Toast the shells for 2-3 minutes and add-in 2 cups of water. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Mince the shrimp until it turns into a paste, and in a bowl, add in white pepper, egg white, corn starch, and 1 tbsp of dashi stock. Mix in one direction and let it set aside for 20 minutes
- Remove the shell from the pot and add in diced tomato; let it simmer for 3-5 minutes or until tomato is soft.
- Form individual shrimp balls (1-2 tbsp) by hand and add it to the stew. Simmer for 2-3 minutes
- Add in soft tofu and simmer for another 1-2 minutes or until tofu is cooked.
- Optional, if you want a sticker stew, mix 1 tbsp of corn starch and 3 tbsp of colder water and pour it into the stew. Simmer for additional 2-3 minutes
