Shrimp / Prawn Pad Thai (Spice I Am Restaurant Recipe)

1. The original recipe called for thin rice stick noodles that looks more like vermicelli. I chose to make it with Pad Thai noodles.

2. Original recipe called for 6 large prawns. I could only find medium size ones so I used 12.

3. Red shallots are like baby red spanish onions. The flavour is sweeter and milder than onions. If you can't find them, just substitute with 1/4 finely sliced red onion.

4. Dried shrimp is the key ingredient in this restaurant style version. They are tiny shrimp / prawns that are dried. They cost around $4 for a packet at Asian grocery stores (you'll only need half).

5. Tamarind is a fruit and the puree is like a smooth paste and is sour. In Australia, you can find it in supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths, Harris Farms) in the Asian section.

6. Real Pad Thai is supposed to be spicy! Adjust to taste - you can sprinkle on the finished dish at the end as well (common way to serve). Chili powder used in this recipe is pure ground dried chilies. Not American chili powder which has other seasonings and is not that spicy. If you are unsure, use cayenne pepper. The chilli powder is to add heat to the dish, not additional seasonings.

7. This is a key tip - rehydrating the noodles using lukewarm water instead of boiling. This stops the noodles from breaking when you are stir frying because the noodles don't overcook which can happen in a flash if you boil them.

If you're really in a rush, soak them in hot water or follow the packet instructions, but reduce the cooking time by 1 minute, and be extra careful when tossing the noodles.

8. How to tell a prawn is perfectly cooked: raw prawns hang straight. Perfectly cooked prawns form a "c" and overcooked prawns curl into an "o" shape.

9.Nutrition assuming 3 servings.