HOW TO USE DRIED SHRIMP
There are many ways to use dried shrimp; some require soaking before using, while some do not.
As a rule of thumb, dried shrimp always require pre-soaking before cooking, so they can release more flavor. For soups and braised dishes, you can soak the dried shrimp for a shorter duration (30 mins to 1 hour) because they will loosen up during cooking. If you’re using the dried shrimp in dumpling filling or meatballs, you’ll need to soak them longer (3 hours to overnight).
Some recipes, such as Pad Thai, only require pounding the shrimp to loosen their texture before adding them into the stir fry.