Ingredients

• 2 long red chillies
• 30g/1oz garlic
• 50g/1¾oz ginger
• 50ml/2fl oz rice wine vinegar
• 50g/1¾oz caster sugar
• 15g/½oz sea salt
• 25ml/1fl oz vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp chilli sauce
• 100ml/3½fl oz fish sauce
• handful fresh curry leaves
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 lime
• juice only
• 25g/1oz palm sugar
• 1 red chilli
• chopped
• 30ml/1fl oz fish sauce
• 1 lemongrass stalk
• 2 lime leaves
• handful fresh mint leaves
• handful Thai basil leaves
• handful Chinese chives
• 200g/7oz rice noodles
• cooked
• vegetable oil
• for deep frying
• 200g/7oz gram flour
• 50g/1¾oz cornflour
• 30g/1oz garam masala
• 2 red chillies
• very finely chopped
• 6 green cardamom pods
• crushed
• pinch salt
• 100g/3½oz cauliflower florets
• 200g/7oz beansprouts
• 100ml/3½fl oz vegetable oil
• 1kg/2lb 4oz squid cleaned and cut into rings
• including tentacles (or 400g/14oz of fresh
• cleaned squid meat)
• 50g/1¾oz ginger
• cut into very thin strips
• 50g/1¾oz sambal
• handful coriander leaves
• to serve

Directions

• To make the chilli paste
• combine all the ingredients in a food processor until it forms a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and add the squid. Leave to marinate while you make the salad and fritters.
• For the noodle salad
• first make the dressing. In a pestle and mortar pound together the lime juice
• palm sugar
• chilli and fish sauce. Shred all the herbs very
• very finely and then mix with the dressing. Pour the mixture over the cooked noodles.
• For the fritters
• heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180C. Alternatively
• pour the vegetable oil into a deep
• heavy-based pan so that it reaches two-thirds of the way up the pan and heat until a breadcrumb dropped in sizzles and turns brown in 30 seconds. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
• Mix the gram flour and cornflour with enough water to make a batter. Add the garam masala
• chillies and cardamom. Whisk to make a smooth paste and season with salt.
• Blanch the cauliflower florets in boiling water for 1 minute
• then drain and rinse in cold water. Wash and drain the beansprouts well.
• Take half the beansprouts
• and all the cauliflower and coat them in the batter. Carefully deep-fry them in batches
• turning them to ensure even cooking. Cook until just brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
• For the squid
• heat 100ml/3½fl oz oil in a wok and add the squid. Let it sizzle for a minute then add the ginger and sambal. Cook until toasted and fragrant.
• Put a little rice noodle salad on each plate
• add the squid and fritters to the side and dress the plate with the chilli sauce. Scatter over the coriander leaves and remaining beansprouts.