Home-Style Dishes
Tangy Stir-Fried Prawns with Bell Pepper (Xi Ha Da Xiao)
a flavourful, protein-rich festive dish with a tangy citrus-tomato sauce
In short: Tangy Stir-Fried Prawns with Bell Pepper (Xi Ha Da Xiao) is a home-style dishe that a flavourful, protein-rich festive dish with a tangy citrus-tomato sauce. It is most often made for everyday balance. Total time about 40 min. Key ingredients: ginger, minced, egg white.
Why people make this dish
This cheerful stir-fry is one of Nourilo’s Chinese New Year table favourites — its name, Xi Ha Da Xiao (嘻哈大笑, meaning “laughing out loud”), is intended to bring a sense of joy and festivity to the family table. The combination of large, golden prawns and bright tri-colour bell peppers creates a visually striking dish that looks celebratory without being difficult to make. The tangy lemon-tomato sauce sets this apart from a standard oyster-sauce stir-fry, adding a refreshing brightness that works particularly well after a rich festive meal. For the best texture, Nourilo recommends quickly blanching the prawns in hot water rather than deep-frying them — a lighter and equally delicious approach.
Method
- Peel the prawns, leaving the tails on. Devein and rinse thoroughly; pat dry.
- Marinate the prawns with egg white, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper; mix gently and leave for 30 minutes.
- Mix together the lemon juice, tomato ketchup, sugar, and salt in a small bowl to make the sauce.
- Wash and deseed the bell peppers; cut into bite-sized chunks.
- Bring a pot of water to a full boil. Add the marinated prawns and blanch briefly until about 80% cooked (the prawns will be pinkish but not fully firm); drain and set aside.
- Heat a little oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the minced ginger and stir-fry briefly until fragrant.
- Add the bell pepper pieces and stir-fry until slightly softened and aromatic.
- Return the prawns to the wok; add the prepared sauce; toss everything together briskly until the prawns are just cooked through.
- Dish up and serve immediately.
Nourilo’s Tips
Blanching the prawns in hot water, rather than passing them through oil, produces a prawn that is every bit as tender and satisfying — and considerably lighter. If you prefer the classic restaurant texture, velveting the prawns through warm oil gives a slightly silkier result. If fresh lemon juice is not available, a tablespoon of white vinegar works as a substitute. This dish looks beautiful on the table and is quick enough to prepare on a busy celebration day.
What studies say about the key ingredients
Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.
- Ginger
Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger studies
From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.
Safety first — read before you cook
This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:
- are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
- take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
- have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.
Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes
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