Prawn Pad Thai

Ingredients

Soak the noodles in a large bowl of warm water for 12 – 15 minutes or until soft but not mushy. Drain and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and chilli flakes.       Heat a wok, add the oil and garlic.  Stir-fry 30 – 40 seconds, add the prawns and swirl in the hot oil until they are cooked, about 2 – 3  minutes.  Add the drained noodles and lift and toss until noodles are covered in oil. Be gentle as you don’t want to break up the noodles.  Pour in the fish sauce/lime juice mixture and toss well to combine. Toss gently over medium heat until noodles have absorbed most of the liquid. Lift noodles from one side of the wok, pour in a little extra oil along one side of the wok and slip in the beaten eggs.  Leave to cook undisturbed  until set but not dry, adding more oil if they look like sticking.  Stir them through the noodles. Add the green onions, stir to combine, and cook for 1 – 2 minutes or until softened.  Taste for seasoning.  Turn out onto a large platter and garnish with the bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, coriander leaves and lime weges.     Tip: you can also add firm cubes of tofu to the dish.  Finely shredded cabbage can also be used for the garnish.  For extra flavour,  add 1 tablespoon dried shrimp, ground to a powder in a blender – sprinkle over the noodles before adding the eggs.