3 Ingredient Low FODMAP Shrimp Stir Fry (Sweet Sour Shrimp)

Everything You Need To Make Low FODMAP Shrimp Stir Fry

My mother’s original recipe includes onions but I can’t eat those anymore. The silver lining though, is that shortens the list of ingredients of this low FODMAP sauce. To make this low FODMAP stir fry recipe, you’ll need 4 things:

• Turmeric powder (have a look at this post for information about turmeric)
• Tamarind paste
• Sweet soy (also known as ketjap/kicap manis)
• Shrimps (or any other seafood of your choice. This sauce pairs well with anything!)

The tamarind, sweet soy and turmeric powder combined make the easiest low FODMAP stir fry sauce recipe perfect for any stir fry.

An important point about this low FODMAP sweet and sour sauce is timing. This dish is simple but it is flavorful. Part of giving this low FODMAP shrimp stir fry dimension is in the way it’s prepared.

How To Make This Sweet & Sour Low FODMAP Shrimp Stir Fry

Toss some turmeric powder on your shrimps and make sure they’re fully coated.

In a hot pan on medium heat, add some garlic oil and your shrimps. Cook them for a minute or 2 and make sure they’ve transformed from a grayish color to a pinkish hue.

When that has happened, add in the tamarind paste. This needs to be sauteed for an additional minute to remove that ‘raw’ flavor and add a depth of flavor. After a minute, add in the sweet soy and saute for another 2 minutes. 

Adding everything one at a time after some sauteing, changes this sweet and sour sauce from a basic low FODMAP stir fry to an elevated sweet and sour prawns recipe. It allows all the ingredients to develop and cook separately. The sauce will thicken and turn into (almost) a glaze that is not flat in flavor.

You can use this same technique with chicken and make a low FODMAP sweet and sour chicken!

If you combined the ingredients in a bowl to make a sauce, you would still get a wonderful dish but taking the time to cook each ingredient in this sweet and sour sauce makes a world of a difference. 

Once the shrimps are cooked, take them off the heat immediately and serve on a plate. Look at those lusciously glossy shrimps. The best part about this dish is eating it with your hands. It is the epitome of “finger-licking” good.

Not sure what tamarind is? It’s the key ingredient that makes this dish sour with a hint of sweetness and the next section will tell you all bout this sour fruit.

What is Tamarind?

Tamarind is a fruit that comes from a genus of hardwood trees known as Tamarindus indica. It is thought to be native to the African continent but can be found in tropical regions like India and Malaysia for instance.

In Malay, we call this fruit, “asam jawa.” The bean-shaped pods have a thin and hard shell but once you break it you will find fibrous pulp encasing seeds.

The young green pulp is crunchy and very sour but as the tamarind ripens, it becomes softer and the sour notes are accompanied by a hint of sweetness. The texture changes from crunchy to soft and gooey. It kind of resembles a thick caramel. 

Used widely in Southeast Asian cuisine, tamarind is used in both sweet and savory dishes. Not only is this pulp used in cooking, it’s also revered for its medicinal qualities and to polish metal.

Alas, we will not be polishing any metal in this post and the tamarind will be used strictly as an ingredient in one of our sweet and sour prawns low FODMAP sauce recipes.

Tamarind is often sold in two forms: as a ready-made paste or in solid blocks of fresh pulp. The ready made paste is easy to use but if you have fresh tamarind, I’m going to teach you how to turn it into a paste for any sweet and sour sauce low FODMAP dish.

FODMAP Notes: Is Tamarind Low FODMAP?

Let’s talk about tamarind FODMAPs. According to Monash University, tamarind is low FODMAP at servings of 1/2 tablespoon or 11 grams. Large servings of 3 tablespoons contain moderate amounts of fructans and should be avoided. 

Soy: This recipe uses sweet soy or ketjap manis which is low FODMAP at 1 tablespoon or 20 grams. Want to learn more about different types of soy sauce and their FODMAPs? We have a complete low FODMAP guide on soy sauces for you!

Shrimps: Shrimps are protein and are FODMAP free.

Turmeric powder: Turmeric powder is low FODMAP at 1 teaspoon or 2 grams.

Since we’re all properly acquainted with the FODMAPs, let’s move on to the other pressing issue at hand. Shrimps and how to clean them.

A PSA: Clean Your Shrimps

I think this is an important section because you should know what’s going into your body. And until I moved to the Netherlands, I had no idea that there was a nation of people that were not cleaning their shrimps.

So, this is a PSA on cleaning your shrimps. All shrimp have a vein or digestive tract that looks like a sack. I’m not going to sugarcoat it, it’s filled with poop. It’s the shrimp poop shoot.

When making any low FODMAP seafood dish, it is important to clean your seafood of choice.

Today, we’re going to learn how to clean the prawn poop shoot.

I left the shell on for this recipe because it clings onto the sauce perfectly. You can remove or keep the shell, it’s up to you. If you’ve kept the shell on, then use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut downwards from the back of the head to the tail, see that poop shoot? Take it out and throw it away.

If you’re using shrimps that have been shelled, use a knife to score the surface right down the middle of the shrimp and you’ll see the vein. Repeat this step until all of the shrimps have been cleaned and you’re done.

There’s nothing toxic about eating the digestive tract. The heat from the cooking process kills any bacteria but honestly, I wouldn’t want to eat any poop shoot, so I take the extra time to devein my shrimps. 

Serving This Dish

Growing up, I often ate this dish with plain white rice but recently, I’ve had the utmost pleasure of eating them with mantou buns. They’re the perfect vehicle to soak up all that delicious sweet and sour turmeric-infused sauce. Add chili crab to the table and you have yourself a seafood feast.

FAQ

Is Shrimp OK For Low FODMAP?

Yes, shrimps are a protein and are FODMAP free! 

Is Shrimp High In FODMAP?

Shrimps have zero FODMAP as they are protein but they are high in histamine. Avoid shellfish if you are allergic or have a low tolerance for high histamine foods.

Is Shrimp OK To Eat With IBS?

Seafood, fish and shrimps or prawns are protein and are FODMAP free. They contain no carbohydrates (FODMAPs) which make them perfect for the IBS low FODMAP diet.

Is Soy Sauce Low FODMAP?

Soy sauce is low FODMAP at 2 tablespoons or 42 grams. Not all soy sauces have the same low FODMAP serving. Find out which kinds of soy are low FODMAP with the complete low FODMAP guide on soy sauces!

What Can I Use Instead Of Soy Sauce On Low FODMAP Diet?

There are low FODMAP soy sauce substitutes:

• Tamari: Gluten free Japanese soy sauce.
• Coconut Amino Sauce: Coconut amino sauce is a popular low FODMAP soy free soy sauce substitute that’s low FODMAP at 5 grams. 

What Can I Use Instead Of Soy Sauce For Stir Fry?

Out of soy sauce? You can use these pantry staples instead:

• Coconut Amino sauce
• Fish sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Maggi seasoning
• Bouillon powder

Can Soy Aggravate IBS?

Yes, even if there is a low FODMAP serving, soy can aggravate IBS symptoms in people with IBS if they are soy intolerant. 

Products made from soy are typically high FODMAP, there are some exceptions like firm tofu which has less FODMAPs but that does not mean everyone following the IBS low FODMAP diet can tolerate it.

I talk all about soy and FODMAPs in a few articles like, Is Soy Low FODMAP?, All About Low FODMAP Soy Sauce,  Is Miso Low FODMAP? and Which Tofu is Low FODMAP?

There you have it, a sweet and sour low FODMAP shrimp stir fry in 5 minutes and 4 ingredients. That’s gotta be a winner. Quick, easy, cheap, and absolutely delicious: everything I want in a dish. If you’re wondering what to serve with this low FODMAP shrimp stir fry (other than rice or noodles) try making these:
Super Easy Fried Mantou Recipe