Crispy prawns in kataifi paste of Middle Eastern inspiration

Prawns in kataifi paste, a delicious and particular Middle Eastern-inspired appetizer to be served at a fish dinner.

Today’s recipe is to prepare shrimp in kataifi paste, perfect as an appetizer or as a main course. Kataifi pasta, similar to fine spaghetti , is also known as konafah, knafej or kadaif, and is a flour and water based pasta typical of Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine. Its neutral taste makes it suitable for many preparations, both sweet and savory. In Greece, for example, it is used in the preparation of a dessert of the same name and prepared with butter, sugar, nuts and eggs with cinnamon syrup and honey. Try it to give a touch of crunchiness to your dishes!

Preparation of prawns with kataifi dough

1. To prepare the shrimp wrapped in kataifi dough, start by shelling the shrimp, being careful not to break the tails .
2. With a small knife, make a slight incision on the back of the shrimp in order to extract the black intestine gut. Continue in this way until all the queues are cleared.
3. Season the shrimp tails with salt and pepper then wrap each shrimp in kataifi dough.
4. After wrapping all the tails, heat the frying oil in a high-sided pan.
5. Fry a little at a time and once you have reached the right browning on both sides, drain and let them drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
6. Serve the shrimp in kataifi paste with sweet and sour sauce or soy sauce according to your taste. Enjoy your meal!

If you like phyllo dough, the basis for kataifi, you can try our recipe to make it at home , you won’t regret it!

storage

This preparation, being fried, should be consumed at the moment when the pasta and the shrimp are still hot and crunchy. We therefore advise against storing in the fridge and also in the freezer.