Succulent Mongolian shrimp

Mongolian shrimp is a tasty combination of succulent shrimp (or prawns for my Aussies) in light crispy batter, stir-fried with a sweet, savoury Asian sauce.

You might be familiar with Mongolian lamb or beef from takeout menus and your favourite Asian restaurants. Despite its name, Mongolian anything is not a traditional Mongolian dish but rather a creation of Chinese-American cuisine.

This Mongolian shrimp is a seafood version of this popular Asian dish. It's made with succulent shrimp that's been coated in egg white and starch, shallow fried and coated in a delicious, sticky sweet and savoury sauce. It has bold flavours and just enough crunch to make it totally irresistible.

Whether you use shrimp, beef, chicken or tofu to make this recipe, the star of the dish is the sauce. In almost all recipes, the Mongolian sauce consists of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and sometimes chilli flakes or Sriracha for a spicy kick. It can be used in a stir-fry with protein, and vegetables or tossed through noodles.

There are variations to this sauce and my version uses honey instead of brown sugar. I also coat the shrimp in tapioca flour (you can use cornstarch too) so it's gluten-free and/or grain-free.

By the way, I have a recipe for healthy Mongolian chicken (with Paleo-friendly sauce) here.

Ingredients

For the shrimp

• 450-500 g/1 lb. large shrimp, deveined and shell off (you can use frozen shrimp and defrost it in warm water for 10-15 minutes)

• 2 egg whites, whisked

• ½ cup tapioca or arrowroot flour (potato starch or cornflour can also be used)

• ⅓ cup avocado oil or melted coconut oil for frying

For the Mongolian sauce

• 1 tablespoon finely minced or diced garlic (about 3 cloves)

• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

• ¼ cup water 

• ⅓ cup soy sauce (or Tamari or coconut aminos)

• ¼ cup Hoisin sauce 

• 2 tablespoons honey (or brown sugar or coconut sugar)

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 0.5 teaspoon chilli flakes or red chilli pepper powder

• ¼ cup chopped green onions (scallions)

For garnish: 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds (optional)

To serve: rice, broccoli or other greens (bok choy etc)

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More easy shrimp meals

Grilled shrimp with white Alabama BBQ sauce

Shrimp Caesar salad

Spanish cauliflower rice with shrimp, chorizo & chicken

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Things I’ve bookmarked recently

• On Instagram, a reel on how to remove mould and keep it away naturally using vinegar, clove oil and tea tree oil.

• Also on Instagram, I love the way Laure at @Lauraprepon makes grilled vegetable skewers. They look super pretty!

• ChihYu’s chili garlic sauce on TikTok is the condiment you’ll want to make! Or, you can find it directly on her website.

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