Prawn stir-fry

Why this dinner works

Most weeknight one-pot dinners ask you to choose between two evils: a five-ingredient bowl that tastes like the inside of a saucepan, or a recipe so layered it eats your entire evening. Prawn stir-fry sits comfortably in the middle. It draws on Thai traditions where building flavor in stages — aromatics, then spice, then the slow swell of liquid into starch — is just how dinner gets made on a regular Tuesday.

The whole thing comes together in about 43 minutes in a single soup pot, which means dinner from idea to table is shorter than most podcast episodes. We've leaned on the everyday 16 ingredients listed below, but in the notes after the recipe you'll find the small swaps and shortcuts that make this dish forgiving when your fridge is half-empty.

Method

1. Step 1. Put the prawns in a bowl. Put the chilli, garlic, coriander stalks (snip these up using scissors first) and caster sugar in a spice grinder or small food processor and whizz together. Add half of the lime juice and the fish sauce, then pour this over the prawns.
2. Step 2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok, add the ginger and spring onions and fry for 1 min. Add the red pepper and fry for 1 min, until the pepper starts to soften. Add the water chestnuts and bean sprouts, and toss together until the bean sprouts start to wilt. Add the soy sauce and a really good grind of black pepper, then tip the lot into a serving dish.
3. Step 3. Heat the remaining oil in the wok and add the prawns, lifting them out of their juices. Toss for 1-2 mins until they turn pink, add the marinade and swirl the wok quickly, then tip the lot onto the veg. Snip over the coriander leaves and sprinkle on the remaining lime. Serves over noodles with extra lime for squeezing over.

Cook's notes

One pan, fewer dishes. Use the widest, heaviest soup pot you own with a tight-fitting lid. The wider base means faster browning at the start; the lid traps the gentle steam that finishes the dish without scorching the bottom.

Salt as you go. Season the aromatics, season the protein, season the liquid before it reduces. By the time you taste at the end, the only adjustment is usually acid — a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a final crack of pepper.

Make it ahead. Like most one-pot dinners with thai roots, the leftovers are arguably better the next day. Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen things back up.

Pairings & serving

This one feels best in a 6-bowl spread with a sharp green salad and something cold to drink. If you want to stretch it for unexpected company, double the liquid and a single starchy ingredient — rice, pasta, potatoes, depending on the recipe — and the whole pan grows without much extra work.

Watch it cooked

If you're a visual learner, there's a free walkthrough of this dish on YouTube.

Original recipe inspiration: source.