Just One Food - Cucur Udang

Continuing along my ramadhan happy trail, this is yet another favourite of mine (and my son's too)....."Cucur Udang" (Prawn Fritters)!  It's a common tea time kuih among Malaysians.  This snack is very versatile and some have even found its way into rojak, mi goreng mamak, mi rebus and pasembur, to name a few.

 

You'd usually find these sold at roadside stalls, "pasar malam" (night markets) and ramadhan bazaars.  There're many types of cucur available from cucur udang to cucur ikan bilis, cucur bawang and cucur jagung or even a combination of any one of these ingredients.  Essentially, the key ingredients of any cucur udang would be the prawns (of course), onions and "kucai" (Chinese chives).  Some variations will have carrots, bean sprouts or even sweet corn added.  The yellow hue from the fritters is the result of the use of "kunyit" (turmeric) powder.
 

There are many stalls selling this delicacy at the ramadhan bazaar here but I think I've finally found a really good one.  I'm not sure how many pieces of cucur udang goes into one packet (coz they were already all cut up and packed) but they're sold @ RM5 a packet.  Each packet comes with some cut up pieces of fried tofu and cucumber to make it a complete meal.

 

I like these ones coz they're loaded with Chinese chives and sliced onions...two very important elements in a cucur udang.  The Chinese chives give it that extra fragrant smell and taste while the onions offer sweetness to this fried snack.

 

I was also told that they use the (more expensive) small white shrimps (with shells on) in their mix although finding some may prove to be a bit of a treasure hunt....but just know that they're in there somewhere! :D

 

Look at just how crispy the exterior is...and the abundance of kucai!  This is one where you don't get an overly spongy texture due to an overload of flour batter but a rather soft and savoury interior.  Absolute yumzzz!! 

 

The cucur udang is served with two types of dip here (usually you get one or the other)....a "kuah kacang" (peanut sauce) and a spicy-sweet chili sauce.  The kuah kacang is pretty similar to the ones you eat with satay.  Both dips complement the prawn fritters very well.

 

I'm going to miss this cucur udang once ramadhan is over coz I've not found better ones elsewhere.