Ebi chili（Stir-fried shrimp in chili sauce, エビチリ）

This dish is originally from China, but one of the famous Chinese chefs invented a Japanese version and introduced it to Japan. His name is Chen Kenmin and he is the father of Iron Chef Chinese Chen Kenichi. When I was in Japan, I watched Iron Chef TV series (料理の鉄人). I admire the chefs so much. Ebi means shrimp in Japanese. Ebi chili has a slightly spicy flavor. It is good to eat with rice and soup.

Ingredients (2 plates):

• 200g (a half pound) shrimp
• 1/2 green onion (need green part and white part)
• 1 teaspoon of *Sake (for shrimp)
• 1 teaspoon of *Katakuriko (for shrimp)
• a half teaspoon of salt (for shrimp)
• 3 tablespoons of ketchup
• 1 teaspoon of *Tobanjan
• 1 tablespoon of *Sake (for sauce)
• 1 tablespoon of *Mirin
• 1 teaspoon of salt (for sauce)
• 1 teaspoon of grated ginger or ginger paste
• 1 clove of grated garlic
• 1 teaspoon of *Katakuriko with 50ml (1.7 floz) of water
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• rice (if you like)

*Sake is an alcoholic Japanese rice wine which is made by fermenting rice.
*Katakuriko is a potato starch.
*Tobanjan (Toban djan) is a chili bean sauce (paste) and made from chili, fermented broad beans, flour, and various spices. This sauce is known as Sichuan style chili sauce.
*Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine with a lower alcohol percentage, and sweeter than Sake.
-> See picture A, B, C and D.

Here is how to make it at home. Cooking time is about 25 – 35 minutes.

1. Cook rice. Meanwhile, cut and separate green part and white part of a green onion. Cut each part of the green onion into small pieces and put them in different small plates.
2. Remove tails of the shrimp, put them in a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of *Sake, 1 teaspoon of *Katakuriko, a half teaspoon of salt and mix them up thoroughly. -> See picture E.

3. Put ketchup, *Tobanjan, 1 tablespoon of *Sake, *Mirin, 1 teaspoon of salt, grated ginger or ginger paste, and grated garlic in a different bowl. Mix up thoroughly. -> See picture F.

4. Put 1 teaspoon of *Katakuriko with 50ml (1.7 floz) of water in a different small bowl, mix up and dissolve the *Katakuriko very well.
5. Heat sesame oil in a frying pan with medium heat. Add 2. (only shrimp) in the frying pan and stir for about 3 - 5 minutes or until shrimp is slightly brown. Flip over the shrimp occasionally. -> See picture G.

6. Add small pieces of the white part of the green onion, 3. sauce, and 4., and stir until the sauce is thick. If the sauce is too thick, add more water. -> See picture H.

7. Put Ebi chili in a plate and add small pieces of green part of the green onion on top.