Malaysian Shrimp Fritters (Cucur Udang)
Cucur udang (shrimp fritters) are the only fried snack that will make pakoras and samosas taste underwhelming. Somehow, these ultra crunchy bites call for no “special” ingredients at all and still boast a unique, savory delight. The batter is as simple as can be—flour, water, and a dash of turmeric—so go ahead and start thawing your shrimp.
Makes 20-25 Fritters
March 31, 2023
Ingredients

15

3

3

¾

½

½

½

large, deveined shrimp

scallions

cups kale, chopped

cup frozen corn, thawed

cup flour

cup corn starch or rice flour

tsp. baking powder

tsp. ground turmeric

tsp. salt

cup ice water

tsp. rice vinegar

Canola or Veggie oil, for fying

Preparation
Step 1

Prep! Place the shrimp in a medium bowl. And set out a large mixing bowl (into which you will later add the chopped veggies and shrimp). Chop the roots off the scallions and discard, and chop the rest of the scallions into small, 1 cm pieces. Place in the large bowl. Remove the ribs of 1 bunch of kale and chop into rough, 1 inch pieces. Place 3 packed cups worth of kale into the large mixing bowl with the scallions. Remove the tails from the shrimp and roughly chop shrimp into small pieces and place into the large bowl. Add thawed corn to the large bowl as well.

Step 2

Rinse out the medium bowl the shrimp was in. Wipe dry. Add the flour, corn starch OR rice flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to distribute all ingredients. Add 1 cup ice water and ½ tsp rice vinegar to the dry ingredients. Stir with a large spoon or spatula to gently combine, not overworking the batter. Stir until ingredients are mostly combined, some flour clumps remaining. 

Step 3

Add the batter to the veggies/shrimp bowl and stir to combine completely. Even if it is clumpy, let it sit for 5 minutes. The flour will slowly absorb water and loosen up on its own. If after 5 minutes the batter is still too thicker than pancake batter or clumpy add 1 Tbsp of cold water at a time and fold ingredients together. The batter should coat the entirety of the veggies and shrimp, but they should not be “swimming” in the batter. 

Step 4

Set a wok or large pot on medium-high heat. Add enough oil to it so that the oil is 3-4 inches deep in the pot. The oil is ready when it reaches 375 degrees F or when a drop of batter is dropped in and it immediately bubbles up in the oil. 

Step 5

Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, drop 1-2 Tbsp sized dollops of the batter into the oil. Fry 4-5 fritters at a time, making sure to increase the heat if the oil gets too cold. Use a spider or spatula to make sure the fritters don’t stick to the bottom. Fry on one side for 3-4 minutes. Flip, and fry on the second side for another 3 minutes. The finished color will be a light, golden yellow. They should not turn golden brown.

Step 6

Set on a paper towel lined wire rack or plate. Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce and enjoy!