Malaysian Tamarind Shrimp

Ingredients

• 2  spring onion ends trimmed cut into thin slivers
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce 
• 0.3 cup rice vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon salad oil 
• 1.5 pounds shrimp shelled deveined rinsed drained per lb.), and well
• 3 tablespoons soya sauce 
• 0.5 cup sugar 
• 0.3 cup tamarind pulp packed (see notes)

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sieve

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix tamarind pulp and 3/4 cup boiling water.
2. Let stand until lukewarm, 8 to 10 minutes; rub pulp with your fingers to mix well and release from seeds. Rub mixture through a strainer into a 10- to 12-inch frying pan; discard residue.
3. Add sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and hot sauce to frying pan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat and stir often until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Scrape the reduced sauce back into a bowl (or, if making up to 1 week ahead, into a jar or refrigerator container; cover and chill).
4. Rinse the frying pan and wipe dry.
5. Place over high heat and add the oil; when hot, add shrimp and stir until they begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes.
6. Pour into a bowl.
7. Add the tamarind sauce to pan and stir until it's boiling vigorously; return shrimp to pan and stir until opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 3 to 6 minutes longer.
8. Spoon shrimp and sauce onto plates or into a bowl.
9. Garnish with green onions.