----marinating----
1 1/2 c  Water
2 lb Headless shrimp
1 tb Oyster sauce
1/2 ts Hot chili sauce
6 oz Tamarind
cooking-
3 oz Young ginger root
4    Large garlic cloves
1 ts Blachan
2    Small red onions
3 tb Oyster sauce
1 tb Dark soya sauce
1 tb Hot chili sauce
3 tb Oil
1/4 c  Packed brown sugar

MARINATING: Break tamarind apart, place in a small saucepan with water.
Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or until pasty coating separates from
seeds. Press through a sieve or food mill to extract all pulp and soupy
liquid. Discard seeds. Rinse shrimps thoroughly, pat dry and marinate fro
1 hour with 1 tablespoon of this tamarind liquid, the oyster sauce and hot
chili sauce. COOKING: Meanwhile, cut young ginger into toothpick-sized
slivers. If using mature ginger, peel and sliver. Peel and sliver garlic.
Place blachan in a non-stick pan and heat gently fro 3 to 4 minutes to
develop the flavors. Pell and cut red onions into wedges. Combine oyster,
soy and chili sauces with blachan; stir into remaining tamarind liquid.
Heat a large wok over high heat. When a drop of water sizzles immediately
into steam pour in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Swirl up sides of wok, and
when just at smoking point, dump in ginger and garlic. Stir fry until
golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Adding more oil as needed, stir frey shrimp
in batches until orange red, about 3 minutes. Pour sauces over all the
shrimp in the wok and cook at a brisk bubble over high heat until shrimps
are aromatic and sauces have reduced and thickened to enrobe the shells,
about 8 minutes. Mix in sugar and onion wedges, taste to adjust seasoning,
sweetening and spiciness. Makes plenty for 6 as a principal dish with
rice, enough for 8 with other dishes.