Thai Spicy Sweet n' Sour Prawns

I used to be a huge fan of Asian take-aways, but a lot of the time you don’t know what’s in them, and they can be quiet fattening, even if you think you’re choosing something healthy. One of the classic dishes when ordering a Chinese or a Thai is sweet and sour.  Sweet and sour from the Chinese is extremely high in calories. This is my  low fat take on a Thai Prawn Sweet and Sour. I’m trying to use the freshest of ingredients and omitting all the fattening qualities of a typical sweet and sour dish. So next time you fancy a sweet and sour, don’t be tempted to call for take-out.This recipe is a lot healthier again than a shop bought jar of sweet and sour sauce. So give this recipes a whirl, it’s zingy and refreshing and not as heavy or sickly as typical store bought jars. Trust me, once you try this you'll want to make it again tomorrow.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1 stick of lemongrass finely chopped
• 3 tbsp of fish sauce
• 2 tbsp of tomato ketchup
• ½ cup water
• 1 red chilli (deseeded) minced
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 thumb sized peeled ginger, grated (or 1 tsp of galangal)
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, chopped finely (dried/fresh/frozen)
• 1 tsp of cornflour mixed with 3 tbsp water
• 1 tsp tamarind paste (not essential, but creates a lovely sour flavour if you can pick it up in your local Asian supermarket)

Prawn Stir- Fry

• 100g raw shelled prawns, drefrosted ones are fine
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips
• ½ cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp groundnut oil (vegetable oil is fine too)
• 1 onion sliced
• ½ courgette, sliced (use whatever veggies you have available)
• 1 sliced tomato
• 4-5 finely shredded mangetout
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander
• Juice of a lime

Method

1. To make the sweet and sour sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients, except for the cornflour mixture. I come from the School Of Lazy so I usually whizz it all together with a blender.
2. Set the sauce aside.
3. Get a wok onto hot, pour in the oil
4. Add the onions and pepper and stir fry for 2-3 minutes
5. Add the sliced cucumber and sliced courgette and stir fry
6. Add the sweet and sour sauce and cook the sauce for a few minutes
7. To thicken the mixture use some of the cornflour mixture (judge accordingly)
8. Add the prawns and stir fry until cooked
9. Sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander, and a squeeze of lime juice.
10. Serve with rice or noodles

**For an extra sweet kick you could add some chopped pineapple chunks.