Prawn Pad Thai
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Serves 2
Ingredients
*4 eggs, beaten
*300g rice noodles, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, then drained
*8–10 prawns, shelled, deveined and heads removed
*2 tablespoons dried turnip (available from Asian supermarkets)
*2 handfuls of bean sprouts
*Chilli powder, to taste (optional)
*Bunch of Chinese chives or
*2 spring onions, chopped
*4 tablespoons roasted
*peanuts, crushed
*Lime wedges, to serve
For the pad thai sauce
*3 tablespoons tamarind pulp
*3 tablespoons vegetable oil
*3 shallots, chopped
*2 tablespoons palm sugar
*1 tablespoon nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
Method
1 First make the Pad Thai sauce. Soak the tamarind pulp in six tablespoons of warm water, then stir until it becomes a thick liquid.
2 Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a wok, add the shallots and stir-fry until almost golden brown. Carefully add the tamarind (in case it spits) and cook for one minute to reduce slightly.
3 Add the palm sugar, stirring to break it up, then stir in the fish sauce and continue to cook over a high heat for one minute until it has thickened slightly.
4 Transfer the Pad Thai sauce to a bowl and set aside. This recipe makes enough sauce for about four servings, so store any leftover Pad Thai sauce in an airtight container and use within four weeks.
5 Now prepare the noodles. Scramble the beaten eggs in a hot wok with the remaining oil, then add the noodles and stirfry until the egg breaks up and the noodles are soft. Add the prawns and dried turnip and stir-fry until the prawns are nearly cooked.
6 Mix in eight tablespoons of the reserved Pad Thai sauce and continue to stir-fry until the noodles take on a nice golden brown colour. Add the bean sprouts, chilli powder (if using), Chinese chives and crushed peanuts and keep stir-frying for another two minutes.
7 Transfer the noodles to two serving plates and serve immediately with lime wedges.
More from Rosa's Thai Cafe: The Cookbook:
Rosa's Thai Cafe: The Cookbook by Saiphin Moore, Photography by Dan Jones, published by Mitchell Beazley, £20, www.octopusbooks.co.uk
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