Vietnamese Caramelized Sweet & Savory Baby Shrimp (Tép Rim / Tép Ram)
One of the quickest side dishes to a traditional Vietnamese family meal is caramelized baby shrimp. Vietnamese caramelized baby shrimp, also known as Tep Rim or Tep Ram, is a simple dish full of sweet, salty and umami flavors that goes wonderfully with steamed rice.
To make this dish, marinate shrimp in fish sauce, sugar, ground black pepper and chicken bouillon powder. Heat up in a hot skillet and tossed shrimp with sauteed garlic and onions until the sugar in the marinade caramelizes and all remaining liquid evaporates.
The dish comes together quick because it utilizes baby shrimp. Small baby shrimp (size 70-90). The higher the number, the smaller the shrimp. Since they are so small, there’s no need to devein them, at least I don’t. The peel in these small shrimp is very tender so there’s no need to peel them, as well.
In the below recipe, I’m using annatto oil to add a more vibrant orange color to my dish, which is entirely optional. If you are using shrimp with heads, the head fat would already provide that color, as well as amazing head fat flavor.
Recipe below. Happy cooking!
Vietnamese Caramelized Sweet & Savory Baby Shrimp (Tép Rim / Tép Ram)
Vietnamese Caramelized Sweet & Savory Baby Shrimp (Tép Rim / Tép Ram)
Vietnamese Caramelized Sweet & Savory Baby Shrimp (Tép Rim / Tép Ram)
Vietnamese Caramelized Sweet & Savory Baby Shrimp (Tép Rim / Tép Ram)
Vietnamese Caramelized Sweet & Savory Baby Shrimp (Tep Rim / Tep Ram)
Serves 3-5
Ingredients
- 1 lb baby shrimp (size 70-90)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 2 tablespoons annatto oil or vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic (peel and mince)
- 1 shallot (peel and mince)
- 2 green onions/scallions (separate whites and greens)
Instructions
- Marinate baby shrimp with sugar, ground black pepper, fish sauce and chicken bouillon powder for 15 minutes.
- In a large skillet, heat annatto or vegetable oil on medium high. Add garlic, shallot and whites of green onions. Saute until fragrant (20 seconds).
- Add marinated shrimp. Cook for 5 to 7, stirring frequently.
- Garnish with green part of remaining green onions/scallions and a sprinkle of black pepper. Serve with steamed rice.
Thit Kho Tau is a classic dish served in almost every Vietnamese home, and it’s one of the dishes made to usher in the Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet). In this recipe, I making Thit Kho Tau using Coca Cola or Coke soda. It acts the same way as any other soda substitute, but with the added benefit of coloring, making this recipe easier and yielding the same tasty results.