Japanese-Style Chili Shrimp (Ebi Chili)
Ebi chili was born in the 1970s when Chen Kenmin, a Sichuan-born chef working in Tokyo, adapted the fiery Sichuan prawn stir-fry with doubanjiang for Japanese palates by softening the heat with ketchup, egg, and chicken stock. The original Sichuan version hits hard with raw chili-bean paste, but Chen's version wraps that heat in a glossy, slightly sweet sauce that coats each shrimp without overwhelming. Shrimp are lightly dusted in cornstarch and flash-fried to form a thin shell that later absorbs the sauce while maintaining the shrimp's springy bite beneath. Minced garlic, ginger, and scallion are fried first to build an aromatic base, then doubanjiang is toasted in the oil to mellow its raw edge before ketchup and sugar go in, creating the dish's signature lustrous red-orange sauce. Ebi chili is a mainstay of Japanese teishoku restaurants - served as a set meal with rice, miso soup, and a small salad - and one of the most commonly cooked Chinese-inspired dishes in Japanese home kitchens.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Pat shrimp dry and coat evenly with potato starch.
- 2
Pan-fry shrimp in oil until lightly golden on both sides.
- 3
Add garlic, ginger, and green onion, then sauté until fragrant.
- 4
Stir in ketchup, chili sauce, sugar, vinegar, and water.
- 5
Return shrimp to the pan and coat in bubbling sauce for 2 minutes.
- 6
Turn off heat once sauce thickens slightly and serve.
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