Shrimp Crackers

The dough

1. Prepare the shrimp paste. Throw 180g of shrimp, one piece of ginger, and 150 ml of water into a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Make the dough |Then add salt, sugar, and tapioca starch. Stir with a scraper first to mix everything well. You may find the dough a bit hard to handle because it is not regular because there is no gluten inside the dough. But never mind, we only need to knead it evenly.
3. Divide into small portions | Next, transfer the dough to an operating board. Shape it into a super long log and divide it into 6 portions. Take one portion out and shape the two ends and make them smoothy in surface.
4. Cook the dough | Now, let’s cook the dough. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the dough pieces for about 20 minutes, making sure that the dough is cooked thoroughly. Note: place the dough pieces one by one with the help of a strainer scoop because the dough will stick to the bottom immediately if you place it directly. Place one dough piece in the strainer, then place it in boiling water. Wait for around 10 to 20 seconds until the surface firms, and shake to remove it from the strainer. Repeat to finish all of them.
5. Set aside for drying | Set aside the pieces of cooked dough and let them rest overnight. This should be ample time for the dough to dry. Remember that you will be frying the dough, so make sure to place it where it will not acquire any additional moisture.

Slice and Bake it until completely drying

1. Cut the dough into thin slices and continue air-drying them. Alternatively, if you have an oven, you can accelerate this process by baking them at 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) using the top and bottom heat for 2-3 hours. Make sure to check occasionally to see if they have become scorched and crispy. Turn as needed.

Deep-frying the shrimp crackers

1. Once the shrimp crackers are dried completely, you have ready-to-cook prawn crackers. To cook the crackers, heat some oil in a pan at 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit). Keep frying until they puff up. This process can be super quick, around 4-5 seconds. Transfer out and then place on oil paper.