Mimi’s Nutty Tom Yum Noodle Broth

Put the rice vinegar in a large bowl and add in 1 tsp of sugar(if you have some). Stir together then put the carrot ribbons and radishes in the bowl and mix together with your hands so they have an even coating. Leave to the side to pickle while you prepare everything else!

Boil a pot of water or a kettle. Put the noodles in a bowl with 1/4 tsp of salt. Once the water is boiling, pour it over the noodles to completely submerge them (no need to cover). Leave to the side for 6-8 mins before draining and submerging the noodles in cold water to stop them cooking anymore. Tip: Before draining, just check your noodles are ‘al dente’, firm in the middle. If not, just leave them in the boiling water for 1 or 2 mins longer.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the spring onions(but keep the white and green parts separate). Finely chop the stalks of the coriander and roughly chop the leaves (keep them separate as well).

Peel and thinly thinly slice the ginger. Peel and grate the garlic(or use a garlic press if you have one). Cut the chilliin half, remove the seeds with a teaspoon, then finely chop. Tip: If you’re not a fan of spice, just leave out the chilli. Bash the lemongrass(quite hard!) with a rolling pin or a frying pan to release the flavour. Remove the core from the peppers, cut in half and then cut each half in half again. Slice each piece thinly into ½cm wide matchstick shapes. Tip: Don’t forget about your noodles!

Put a frying pan (or a wok if you have one!) on medium heat with 1 tbsp of oil and add in the whites of the spring onions, coriander stalks, the whole lemongrass, star anise and peppers. Cook for 3 mins before adding the curry paste, sliced ginger and garlic. Stir together and cook for another minute.

Once the curry paste is smelling lovely and fragrant pour in 450ml of water and the soy sauce. Stir together, bring to a gentle simmer and bubble away for 5 mins.

While your broth is cooking, put the peanuts in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin or the back of a frying pan, until there are some small bits of peanuts and some peanut dust.

When the broth has been cooking for 5 mins, remove and discard your lemongrass and your star anise, juice the limes and add half, taste and add more if you want to. Tip: We like things quite limey so we add all the juice!