King Prawn with Tomato (Chinese Takeaway Style)

Cook up a Chinese takeaway classic with this authentic king prawn with tomato recipe. Sweet and slightly sour, it’s perfect with egg fried rice.

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This king prawn with tomato stir fry recipe recreates a Chinese takeaway favourite at home. Sizzling king prawns, sweet tomato, and fruity o.k sauce combine for a deliciously piquant and umami rich flavour.

Ingredients For Chinese Takeaway Style King Prawn With Tomato

This Chinese takeaway style king prawn with tomato recipe uses a familiar combination of ingredients including tomato ketchup. Juicy king prawns are stir fried with onion and tomatoes and ketchup is combined with O.K sauce (a fruit brown sauce), soy sauce, vinegar and sugar to produce a deliciously sweet and slightly sour stir fry dish.

• Tomato Ketchup
• O.K Sauce
• Light Soy Sauce
• Dark Soy Sauce
• Malt Vinegar
• Caster Sugar
• Dark Brown Sugar
• Sunflower Oil
• Onion
• Salad Tomato
• Fresh Raw King Prawns
• Sea Salt
• White Pepper
• MSG
• Light Chicken Stock
• Potato Starch
• Spring Onion
• Rice Wine

Cook Like a Takeaway: Want to see the exact oyster sauce, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine I use in all my Chinese recipes? Check out my Chinese Takeaway Style Cooking Essentials guide.

How To Make Chinese Takeaway Style King Prawn With Tomato

Making this Glasgow Chinese takeaway style king prawn with tomato is easy! First, onion and chopped tomatoes are stir fried in a hot wok, along with seasoned king prawns, sea salt and MSG. The prepared sauce is added and simmered before being thickened slightly. Finally, fresh spring onion and a dash of rice wine are added to finish and the dish is ready to serve.

Step 1: King Prawns

In a bowl, add 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup, 1 teaspoon O.K sauce, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon distilled clear malt vinegar, 1 teaspoon caster sugarand 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar. Mix briefly and set aside.

Step 3: Stir Fry

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon sunflower oil and 1/2 onion, sliced and the seasoned king prawns and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until the prawns begin to change colour. Add 2 salad tomatoes, roughly chopped and stir fry for another 30 seconds. Add Pinch sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon MSG, the prepared sauce and 200 millilitres light chicken stock. Mix well, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly.

Step 4: Serve

Slowly add 1 teaspoon potato starch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water, stirring well until the sauce reaches the desired consistency (you may not need all of the mix). Finish with 1 spring onion, slicedand 1 teaspoon rice wine, mix well once more and serve.

Recipe Tips For Chinese Takeaway Style King Prawn With Tomato

Preparation: Stir fry dishes come together quickly, so it’s good to have all the necessary ingredients and sauces prepared and to hand before you start cooking. Once you start, it’s all go until the dish is sizzling hot and ready to serve!

I hope you’ll try this Chinese takeaway style king prawn with tomato recipe. If you do, let me know in the comments how it went!

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Chinese Takeaway Style King Prawn With Tomato Recipe FAQ

What is MSG and why should I use it?

MSG is monosodium glutamate, a seasoning ingredient widely used in Chinese takeaway kitchens, in pure form or as an ingredient in soy sauces and other seasoning sauces. Despite historic baseless claims of its dangers, it has been widely proven to be considered safe for use in cooking. In fact, many of the myths and lies about MSG were deliberately and maliciously spread as a form of racism. You can find MSG naturally in many foodstuffs including broccoli, cheese and tomatoes. It’s available online or in Chinese supermarkets. You can learn more about MSG from the brilliant Chin Taylor of Ziang’s Kitchen here.

Do I need a carbon steel wok to cook Chinese takeaway style dishes?

A well seasoned carbon steel wok is a wonderful addition to your Chinese takeaway style cooking equipment, and I would highly recommend investing in one. But, you can cook this dish in any wok or large frying pan and it will be delicious!

Can I use cornflour instead of potato starch?

Yes, you can use cornflour and water to thicken the simmering stir fry sauce. It will do a similar job, however a more consistent texture is achieved using potato starch.

Can I use beef / char siu / chicken / vegetables instead?

Yes! This recipe also works well with beef, char siu, chicken or mixed vegetables.

What’s the difference between light soy sauce and dark soy sauce?

In Chinese takeaway kitchens, chefs use light soy sauce mainly for seasoning – it’s thinner and more salty than dark soy sauce. Dark soy sauce has a thicker consistency and is used to add colour to stir fry sauces and egg fried rice.

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Do you like this Chinese takeaway style king prawn with tomato recipe? If so, buying a copy of my book might appeal to you! In The Chinese Takeaway Secret you can find a host of restaurant and takeaway style recipes that you can make at home. You’ll learn how to make Glasgow Chinese takeaway style salt and chilli spare ribs, bbq chicken wings, won ton and more! You can buy The Chinese Takeaway Secret in paperback or kindle form here.

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