Ingredients: Large handful of clean cilantro ROOTS (roughly chopped) 2-3 bulbs garlic (removing each clove from its husk) 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns (white if possible) 1 tablespoon fish sauce (or more to taste) 1 tablespoon of sugar (or more to taste) 1 pound of shrimp several tablespoons of oil
Directions:
1. Place peppercorns (they're the firmest ingredient) in the mortar and begin pounding with the pestle.
2. Add chopped cilantro roots and pound some more.
3. Add garlic and pound, grinding ingredients together. Add the fish sauce and stir.
4. Heat oil (you can use vegetable oil or peanut oil or sesame seed oil). Vegetable oil is the most plain oil in terms of flavor. Peanut oil can be cooked at higher temperatures and sesame seed oil has a distinctive flavor that some people don't care for (I think it's delish!).
5. When oil is hot, add your paste to it.
6. As soon as the aroma is nice and strong, slide your shrimp into the pan and sprinkle your sugar on top, stirring as you saute.
7. Cook until the shrimp is no longer translucent then take the pan off the eye and serve your shrimp over rice.
Ingredients:
Large handful of clean cilantro ROOTS (roughly chopped)
2-3 bulbs garlic (removing each clove from its husk)
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns (white if possible)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon of sugar (or more to taste)
1 pound of shrimp
several tablespoons of oil
Directions:
1. Place peppercorns (they're the firmest ingredient) in the mortar and begin pounding with the pestle.
2. Add chopped cilantro roots and pound some more.
3. Add garlic and pound, grinding ingredients together. Add the fish sauce and stir.
4. Heat oil (you can use vegetable oil or peanut oil or sesame seed oil). Vegetable oil is the most plain oil in terms of flavor. Peanut oil can be cooked at higher temperatures and sesame seed oil has a distinctive flavor that some people don't care for (I think it's delish!).
5. When oil is hot, add your paste to it.
6. As soon as the aroma is nice and strong, slide your shrimp into the pan and sprinkle your sugar on top, stirring as you saute.
7. Cook until the shrimp is no longer translucent then take the pan off the eye and serve your shrimp over rice.