Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles

Ingredients

400ml tin of coconut milk (use low fat if you prefer)

2 tbsp red curry paste

3 tbsp peanut butter (can be smooth or crunchy – whatever you have/like)

300ml vegetable or chicken stock

3 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce for a vegetarian version)

1 tbsp light brown sugar

3 lime leaves, ripped in half (optional)

2-3 tsp Sriracha sauce (or other similar chilli sauce)

1 lime, plus wedges to serve

1- 2 red chillies, finely chopped (de-seeded for less heat)

350g/ 12oz medium rice noodles

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

150g/ 5oz broccolini (Sprouting Broccoli), stalks chopped into inch pieces and any large florets halved

150g/ 5oz sugar snap peas, cut in half on the diagonal

2 fat spring onions, finely sliced

150g/ 5oz beansprouts

55g/ 2 oz unsalted peanuts, toasted in a dry frying pan and roughly chopped

Small handful of fresh coriander/cilantro, roughly chopped

 

preparation

Heat a large frying pan or wok then add the coconut milk. Mix well to make sure there are no lumps if it has separated at all then gently bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes then add the red curry paste and peanut butter and mix well before then adding the stock, fish sauce, sugar, lime leaves, Sriracha, the juice of half the lime and one of the chillies. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly.

While the sauce is reducing put the noodles into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 5-7 minutes to soften then drain and rinse with cold water to stop them cooking further and from sticking together, then set aside. (If they are still a little on the crunchy side don't worry – they will finish cooking in the sauce.)

Taste to check the sauce then adjust the seasoning if needed (more fish sauce if you need more salt, more lime, sugar, spice etc) until you have the perfect balance. Add the sliced red pepper, broccolini, and sugar snap peas to the pan and stir well through the sauce. Cook for a minute or 2, uncovered, until tender-crisp, then add most of the spring onions and bean sprouts (reserving some for garnish), the drained noodles, three-quarters of the coriander and the peanuts. Toss everything well together so it is all coated in the sauce and piping hot then divide between 4 bowls. Finish with the remaining beansprouts then sprinkle over the spring onions, coriander, chopped peanuts and if you like the extra chilli and serve at once with a wedge of lime, chop sticks and a cold beer!