I love tom yum, I love Thai food period. The herbs, the spices, the heat, the tanginess, the fragrance….All that combination is totally heavenly.

This recipe is really fuss free too with local supermarkets selling ready Tom Yum paste. I had tried quite a few different ones and I quite fancy the hollyfarm brand ones (see picture below. If you can’t find this, any other brand will do).

Ingredients: Serves 2
100g vermicelli (bee hoon)

1 tbsp tom yum paste, mixed with 200ml hot water (adjust the tom yum paste according to your preference)

4 lemongrass stalks, cut to 2 inch lengths, make slits on the stalks to release the aroma

3 cloves chopped garlic

vegetable oil

6/8 large prawns, veins removed (doesn’t matter tails intact or not)

1 bell pepper, cut to small wedges (you can replace with any other of your favourite veg)

Coriander, mint leaves and lime for garnishing

Directions
1. Soak the rice vermicelli in water for at least half an hour, until the noodles are fully soft. Drain and set aside.

2. In a wok or pan, heat some oil and stir fry the garlic & lemon grass stalks till fragrant.

3. Add bell pepper and stir fry for about a minute or two. Then add the prawns and stir fry till everything is cooked. Set aside on a plate.

4. Return the lemongrass stalks to the wok. Add the vermicelli (bee hoon) followed by the tom yum mixture. The noodles should be fully soaked in the tom yum mixture.

5. Cook till the noodles have soaked up all the water, and is of a dry consistency (about 8 minutes). Keep stirring to prevent burning the vermicelli at the bottom.

6. Now stir in the previously cooked vegetables and seafood that you set aside and stir thoroughly.

7. Serve the vermicelli in a plate and garnish with chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and lime if desired.

This is the Tom Yum Paste I bought. You can purchased this at NTUC or Cold Storage easily.