Recipe: Stir-fry prawns

Method

•  Season the prawns with salt, red chili flakes, black pepper and cornflour.

•  Heat about three tablespoons of oil on high flame and stir fry the prawns for five minutes or until they are cooked through. Once cooked, take them off of heat and set aside.

•  Heat one tablespoon of oil in the same pan and sautée the green chilies, chopped capsicum and carrot for two to three minutes on high flame.

•  Stir in the onion and salt and continue cooking the vegetables until the onion becomes soft. Make sure not to overcook the vegetables — they should remain crunchy.

•  Pour in the chili garlic sauce, chili sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, pineapple juice and white vinegar and mix thoroughly.

•  Add the roasted cashew nuts and fried prawns to the pan and stir. Your prawns are now ready.

Prawns and cholesterol

Although prawns (commonly known as shrimps) are known to be high in cholesterol, they are otherwise quite nutritious and not necessarily off limits to cholesterol-conscious eaters. The amount of cholesterol stored in a body has a direct link to cardiac health: the higher the cholesterol level, the greater the risk of coronary heart diseases, heart attacks and strokes. Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) in particular is a very harmful form of cholesterol that can accumulate inside the arteries and combine with other substances to create thick, hard plaque. This is dangerous as the plague can cause the arteries to stiffen and become narrow, eventually leading to blockages.

In general, shrimps are relatively low in calories. For instance, 3.5 ounces of shrimp contains 99 calories, 24 grammes of protein and 0.3 grammes of total fat. But when it comes to cholesterol, the same 3.5 ounces of cooked shrimp carries about 189 milligrammes of cholesterol! The good news is that according to New York University’s Langone Medical Center, the effect of cholesterol on LDL levels isn’t as great as that of saturated and trans fat. It is for this reason that most low-cholesterol diet focus on reducing one’s consumption of saturated fats, instead of cholesterol directly.

The final verdict is that prawns are perfectly healthy for those with cholesterol problems so long as they don’t overindulge themselves. Doctors prescribe limiting cholesterol intake to no more than 200 milligrammes per day to remain on the safe side. It is also important to maintain a nutritious and balanced diet along with the prawns to keep cholesterol at bay.

SOURCE: LIVESTRONG.COM

Try some herbed rice

Serve the prawns with herbed rice for the ideal oriental experience!




Ingredients:

•  Water

•  Rice 2 cups

•  Chicken cube 1

•  Thyme 1 tsp

•  Oregano 1 tsp

•  Butter 1/2 cup

Method

•  Add water, one chicken cube and half of the butter to a large stock pot and bring them to boil.

•  Once the liquid is ready, add rice and one teaspoon of crushed oregano and thyme with the remaining butter.

•  Cover the pot and allow the rice to simmer for approximately 30 minutes.

•  Remove the pot from heat and let the rice sit for a few minutes before serving.

HERBED RICE PICTURE COURTESY: WWW.THEKITCHENSNOB.COM

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, March 8^th, 2015.