‘YAM WOON SEN’ NOODLE SALAD

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4 as a side dish or two as a main

1 bundle mung-bean thread noodles

1 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes and drained

1 clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 red bird’s eye chilli, roughly chopped

2 limes 3 tbsp fish sauce

2 tsp brown or palm sugar

2 stalks of lemongrass, ends removed, very fine inner cores kept

1 stalk of green peppercorns

1 stalk Chinese celery, washed and julienned

2 tomatoes, pulp removed and sliced thinly

2 purple shallots, sliced finely Small handful coriander Handful raw cashews, toasted in a dry pan and roughly crushed

METHOD

Soak the mung-bean thread noodles in just-boiled water for 5 minutes, until soft, and drain. Rinse under cold water. Using a pestle and mortar, pound the shrimp until broken down. Add the garlic and pound until it has amalgamated. Next, add the chilli and give it a few bashes. Halve one of the limes and add the juice of both halves, then season with 1 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tsp sugar. Taste and add more sugar/lime/fish sauce to your taste. Remove the dressing to a bowl and wipe the pestle and mortar clean. Chop up the inner core of the lemongrass finely, add to the mortar and pound with the pestle a few times. Add the peppercorns, removed from the stalk, and bash roughly, then add to the dressing. In a large bowl, place the noodles, celery, tomatoes and shallots and toss well. Add the dressing and toss again – it’s best to use your hands for this. Leave for 5 minutes for the flavours to meld, then serve on a plate with a wedge of lime and a sprinkling of the coriander and cashews on top.