Thai Glass Noodle Salad with Shredded Chicken and Prawns

I love making this! It’s quite easy and the fresh aromas coming from this dish makes you coming back for more. This Asian noodle is sometimes called ‘glass’ as its appearance when cooked becomes transparent. You’ll find these noodles in salads, soups, stir fry etc. as it is a favorite of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and other Asian cuisines.

Serves 4
100g glass noodles, soaked in cold water for 1 hour, then drain
3/4 cup chicken breast, steamed, cooled and then shredded
10 medium size prawns (more if you like), steamed and sliced
4 spring onions finely chopped
30 dried shrimps, washed and drained (dry well)
100g bean sprouts

For the Sauce
2-3 green chilies, finely chopped (seeds removed)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup white vinegar
2.5 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Put noodles, shredded chicken, prawns, bean sprouts, onion in a salad bowl, toss and set aside.

Add all the dry ingredients for the sauce in the bowl with the chicken and prawns. Mix well. Meanwhile, in a saucepan add the water, vinegar, fish sauce and simmer over a low heat for 5 min. Remove from heat and leave to cool for 10 min. Pour over the ingredients in the salad bowl and mix well.

Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: If you are short of time, instead of using cold water to soften the noodles, use hot water. Stir the noodles around until soft (about 5 min.), drain and rinse under cold water, drain again. You can substitute bean sprouts for red or green bell pepper. Fish sauce is used like salt in western cooking and soy sauce in Chinese cooking. Good quality fish sauce imparts a distinct aroma and flavor all its own. It is indispensable in the Thai kitchen as Thai food wouldn’t be quite the same without it. Asian fish sauce is often made from anchovies, salt and water.