This spicy specialty of Singapore uses a mixture of Chinese ingredients and Indian spices to create a distinctive and delicious stir-fried noodle dish.

4 oz (120g) rice vermicelli noodles

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1½ teaspoons Madras curry powder

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil

16 large raw shrimp (prawns)—peeled (or use pre-cooked shrimp and add at the end of cooking to heat through)

1 onion—finely chopped

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

4 mushrooms—thickly sliced

2 cloves garlic—minced (crushed)

2 cups finely shredded cabbage

2 cups bean sprouts

1 scallion (spring onion)—thinly sliced on the diagonal (reserve a small amount for garnishing)

COOK the rice noodles, then rinse under cold water and set aside. MIX together the soy sauce, brown sugar, salt, curry powder and pepper in a small bowl. HEAT a wok or large skillet over a high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and stir-fry the shrimp for 2 minutes. REMOVE the shrimp from the wok and set aside on a plate. HEAT the remaining oil in the wok and stir-fry the onion for 3 minutes. ADD the cabbage and stir-fry for 2 minutes more. ADD the garlic, ginger, bean sprouts and mushrooms and stir-fry for 2 minutes. ADD the noodles, reserved shrimp, sauce mixture and scallion and cook for a minute to thoroughly combine and heat through. GARNISH with the reserved scallion.

Variations: Replace the shrimp with 2 cups of shredded pre-cooked chicken breast, or use a combination of chicken and shrimp.

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