Papaya Salad with Vermicelli Noodles

• 1 small handful cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 100g bean sprouts, washed and picked
• 2 thick rice vermicelli (sen khao poon)
• 2 tbsp dried prawns
• Small handful coriander, leaves picked off the stalk, (optional for garnish)

Sauce

• 2 tbsp lime juice, approximately ½ lime
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2-3 bird eye chillies, finely chopped 
• 2 tbsp palm sugar
• 2 tbsp fermented fish sauce
• 2 tbsp tamarind concentrate

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Soak the vermicelli noodles in hot water for 3 minutes until they have separated. Drain them and leave to dry on a clean tea towel for 10 minutes.

With a knife or vegetable peeler, peel the papaya and julienne, or slice into thin matchsticks. Use a julienne peeler, if available. Place into a salad bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes, add the dried prawns into the same salad bowl alongside the beansprouts. Roughly chop the peanuts and reserve for garnish. 

For the sauce, finely chop the garlic and bird's eye chillies. In a separate small bowl mix together the lime juice, garlic, chilli, palm sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind paste. The sauce should be a perfect balance of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. Add more of any ingredient from the ‘sauce’ list to suit your taste. 

Stir the dressing and the salad ingredients together. Garnish with roasted peanuts and coriander.