Thai Noodle Salad With Prawns

I find this dish very refreshing and good to be taken during the raining reason. This dish is quite similar to the Vietnamese dish, Bak Cha - a dish with rice noodles, fried meats served with lots of vegetables and herbs such as parsley and mints.

• 3 ounces rice vermicelli
• 6 ounces snap peas, cut crossways in half, if large (mangetouts)
• 5 tablespoons lime juice
• 4 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and chopped finely
• 1 fresh red chili pepper, deseeded and sliced thinly on the diagonal
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander or 4 tablespoons mint
• 4 pieces cucumbers, peeled deseeded and diced
• 2 spring onions, sliced thinly on the diagona
• 16 -20 large cooked prawns
• 2 tablespoons chopped unsalted peanuts or 2 tablespoons cashews
• 4 whole cooked prawns
• lemon slice (to garnish)

Cooking Steps:

1. Place the rice noodles in a large bowl and soak the rice noodles with hot water for about 4 minutes until soft. Drain and rinse under cold running water, drain again and set aside.
2. Boil some water in a saucepan. Add the mangetouts and return to boil. Drain, rinse under cold running water until cold, then drain again and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, ginger, chili and coriander together. Add the cucumbers and spring onions into the mixture. Then drain the water from the rice noodles and add into the mixture together with the mangetouts and the prawns. Toss the salad gently together until the ingredients are coated with the sauce.
4. Divide the noodle salad among 4 large plates. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and peanuts [if using], then garnish each plate with a whole prawn and a lemon slice.