Perfect pad Thai - Good Food Middle East

Ingredients

• 250g dried rice noodles (also called rice sticks)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 Thai bird's-eye chillies (or 2 thumb-sized), deseeded and finely chopped
• 3 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar
• 6 tbsp tamarind paste mixed with 3 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 300g peeled raw prawns, deveined
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 100g fresh beansprouts
• 2 tbsp preserved or pickled turnips, finely chopped (see tip)
• ½ small pack chives, snipped into 2½ cm/1in pieces
• roasted and ground peanuts, optional
• lime wedges, optional
• coriander leaves, optional