Pad Thai-style stir-fried rice noodles with prawns

Ingredients

Sauce

• 3 tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

Noodles

• 300 g dried flat rice noodles (5 mm)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 200 g raw king prawns, peeled
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 100 g firm tofu, cubed
• 100 g bean sprouts
• 4 spring onions, sliced
• 50 g roasted peanuts, crushed
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• Fresh coriander
• chilli powder, to serve

Method

1. Sauce. Whisk tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, vinegar. Set aside.
2. Noodles. Soak rice noodles in room-temp water 1 hour. Drain.
3. Stir-fry. Heat oil in a wok until smoking. Add garlic, 30 seconds.
4. Prawns. Add prawns, stir-fry 2 minutes until pink. Push to side.
5. Egg. Pour beaten eggs into the gap. Scramble lightly.
6. Noodles. Add drained noodles + sauce. Toss 2-3 minutes until glossy.
7. Combine. Add tofu, bean sprouts, spring onions. Toss 1 minute.
8. Serve. Topped with crushed peanuts, coriander, lime, chilli powder.

Tips

• Soak the noodles in room-temp water 1 hour. No soaking = sad noodles.
• Tamarind paste is the soul. Skip the ketchup shortcut.
• Wok hei is everything. Hot wok, fast hands, no crowding.