Peel and de-vein the shrimp; cut into small pieces. Wash and pat dry the sliced shrimp meat.
Squeeze the shrimp tomalley from the heads; add it to the shrimp.
Add fermented sweet rice (khao mak)
On a cutting board, use a knife to mince the shrimp together with the tomalley and fermented sweet rice.
Thicken coconut cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat, reserving a small amount for the garnish. Do not allow the cream to separate into fat.
Add the sliced madan or young tamarind pods and continue to cook until their sourness is extracted. Dilute with a small amount of coconut milk, or water if the coconut thickens too much. Be careful and do not let the coconut cream separate into fat!
Add the diced firm pork fat and shallots. Continue to simmer until the pork fat is cooked.
Add the minced shrimp mixture. Stir well to prevent it from forming into chunks.
When the shrimp are cooked, taste and season to a sour-salty-sweet profile using salt or fish sauce for saltiness, tamarind paste for sourness, and granulated sugar, palm sugar or sweet fermented rice liquids for sweetness.
Turn off the heat and add another batch of fresh sliced madan.
Pour into a serving bowl, and garnish with thinly sliced three colored chilies – red, green and yellow – along with sliced shallots and a drizzle of the thickened coconut cream.
Serve with:
Fresh vegetables, grilled catfish or fried snakehead fish.