Instructions: Soak the noodles in a large bowl of warm water for 15 minutes.

When they are soft drain them and discard the water.

Cut them into 7.5cm lengths using scissors or a knife.

Put 1 tablespoon of oil into a hot wok or pot.

Then add the spring onions and garlic and stir fry quickly for a few seconds.

Add the meat and stir fry until it is cooked. (This should take between 5 and 10 minutes.)

Then add all the sauce ingredients except the sesame oil and cook the mixture over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes.

Now add the drained noodles and sesame oil and cook the mixture for a further 5 minutes.

Ladle some noodles and sauce into individual bowls or into one large serving bowl and serve at once.

Bean thread or cellophane noodles are delightfully light noodles. They are very fine white and almost transparent and can be easily obtained from Chinese grocers and some supermarkets. They are quite easy to prepare and go well with almost any kind of sauce. Unlike other types of noodle they can be very successfully re heated. The spicy sauce in this recipe gives the noodles body and character and I think it makes an excellent dish for lunch or a light supper.

Serves 4

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