Chinese New Year 2010

That´s Caramel Prawns! So yummilicious and incredibly simple!

Today marks the first day of the new year 2010, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. This would also be the 4th Chinese New Year ("CNY") that I have missed since moving to Germany in Aug 06. Normally, I don´t really feel the pinch of missing the reunion dinner, family gatherings etc, since I do catch up with my family and friends during my annual trip to Singapore.

However, I guess being at the Asian Store today and seeing the larger-than-normal crowd of people there stocking up on their last-minute purchases, made me really miss being in Singapore and enjoying the traditional reunion dinner. There´s something about doing the same thing every year. It gives you a sense of normalcy, routine and security....somehow.

Basically, CNY is the equivalent of Christmas. Actually, this might be the only time that you meet up with your relatives, whom you may not see for the rest of the year otherwise. I keep in touch with my mother´s side of the family but not my dad´s side. I think the last time I saw them must have been at my wedding - almost 4 years ago!

With more than 50 cousins on both sides of the family, I´m naturally closer to some cousins and not the others. My favourite cousin is one year older than me on my mother´s side of the family.

Yup, so what do you do when you miss home and don´t have any time to do any elaborate reunion dinners?

You improvise and try to drown out any homesickness by cooking good food. I decided to try out a new prawn recipe, cook my favourite black pepper crabs and stir-fry some Chinese broccoli.

Reunion dinner consisted of just me and hubby. Small but meaningful. I felt much better after scrapping the meat off the last crab shell. And I must say that my hubby is starting to complain less about eating crabs and even serving me small portions of crab meat that he painstakingly peeled off himself, using our new nutcracker!!! Yay, no more cracking the shells with a hammer.

Caramel Prawns

10 big raw Prawns

A few drops of Sesame Oil

Fresh Ginger (sliced)

1 Thai Chilli (chopped)

2 Tbsp Sherry

1 1/2 Tbsp Cooking Oil

2 Tbsp Sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Spring Onions for garnishing

Lime/lemon juice




1. In a wok, heat up the sesame oil and fry the ginger till fragrant. Add in the thai chillis and then the prawns. You are almost dry roasting the prawns so keep stir-frying till they turn rosy.

2. Add in the sherry and mix well. Remove everything to a plate.

3. Lower the heat on the stove. In the same wok, heat up the cooking oil and stir in the sugar. It will dissolve in the oil and start to caramelise. Return the prawns to the wok. Stir well to coat the prawns in the sauce.

4. Add spring onions and stir-fry it for a min or two.

5. Squeeze the lemon / lime juice over the prawns. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove to a serving plate and serve hot.

Adapted from: www.beaulotus.blogspot.com

Here´s wishing all my Chinese friends a superb Chinese New Year 2010! May God bless and watch over you and your loved ones.