A prawn and vegetable stir-fry with ginger is especially good when the vegetables keep a little bite and the prawns are cooked just until tender. This version pairs juicy prawns with fine strips of carrot, sweet red pepper and mangetout, then finishes them with fresh ginger, lime and a light soy dressing. There is no thick, sticky sauce: the aim is a bright, fresh panful that lets each ingredient taste of itself.
The useful trick is to cook the prawns separately and return them at the end. That gives you time to soften the vegetables without leaving the seafood in the heat for too long. Get everything chopped before you switch on the hob, and dinner becomes a straightforward sequence of short steps.
Prawn and Vegetable Stir-Fry With Ginger
Serves: 2. Preparation: about 20 minutes, plus defrosting if needed. Cooking: about 10 minutes, with extra time for your chosen accompaniment. Use a large frying pan or wok so you have room to move the ingredients around.
Ingredients
- 250g raw peeled king prawns, deveined and fully defrosted if frozen
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
- 150g mangetout, trimmed
- 4 spring onions, trimmed, with whites and greens sliced separately
- 25g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon reduced-salt soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 lime, half juiced and half cut into wedges
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- A small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped, optional
- 150g dried wholewheat noodles, to serve
Reduced-salt soy sauce still provides salt, so taste the finished dish before adding any extra seasoning. The lime brings sharpness and the sesame oil adds a toasted aroma; both work best added towards the end.
Method
- Prepare the prawns. If frozen, defrost them in the fridge according to the packet instructions. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Check that the dark digestive tract has been removed. Keep the prawns chilled while you prepare the other ingredients, and wash your hands and any equipment that has touched them.
- Arrange the vegetables. Slice the pepper and carrot thinly so they cook quickly. Keep the carrot and pepper together, the mangetout separate, and the spring onion greens aside for finishing. Mix the soy sauce and water in a small bowl.
- Cook the noodles. Follow the packet instructions, timing them to finish close to the stir-fry. Drain well. If they are ready early, loosen them just before serving with a little hot water, then drain again.
- Cook the prawns. Heat half the rapeseed oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Add the prawns in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Cook for roughly 1–2 minutes on each side, depending on size, until pink, opaque throughout and piping hot. Transfer to a clean plate.
- Start the vegetables. Add the remaining rapeseed oil to the pan, followed by the carrot and pepper. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes, tossing regularly. Add the mangetout and spring onion whites, and cook for another 2 minutes. The vegetables should be hot and slightly softened, with some bite remaining.
- Add the aromatics. Stir in the ginger and garlic for about 30 seconds, keeping everything moving so the garlic does not burn. Pour in the soy sauce and water mixture. Toss for about a minute to coat the vegetables and lift any flavour from the pan.
- Finish and serve. Return the cooked prawns and their juices to the pan and toss briefly until piping hot. Remove from the heat and add the sesame oil, lime juice and spring onion greens. Divide the noodles between bowls, spoon over the stir-fry and scatter with coriander if using. Serve with the lime wedges.
Make ginger the main flavour
Fresh ginger gives this dish its character. Grating it finely helps it spread through the small amount of sauce, rather than leaving large, fibrous pieces in the bowl. If your ginger is particularly stringy, grate across the fibres and discard any tough strands left on the grater.
Adding ginger near the end preserves its lively flavour. It needs a brief moment in the hot pan to lose its raw edge, but prolonged frying can make the fine pieces catch. Have the soy mixture beside the hob before the ginger goes in, so you can add it promptly.
Keep the pan lively without scorching
A domestic frying pan can make a very good stir-fry. What matters is giving the ingredients enough space. If the vegetables form a deep heap, they release moisture faster than it can evaporate and begin to steam. Use your widest pan, or cook the vegetables in two batches and bring them together for the final toss.
Dry prawns also help. Excess water cools the pan and dilutes the dressing. Patting them dry before cooking makes their cooking time easier to judge. Watch the thickest part of each prawn: it should turn opaque all the way through. Remove smaller prawns as they finish if their sizes vary considerably.
Serving the finished stir-fry
Serve the vegetables and prawns over the noodles so the light dressing runs down into them. Alternatively, toss the drained noodles through the pan at the very end, using tongs to distribute the vegetables. Add a splash of hot water if the noodles absorb the dressing immediately.
Brown rice also works well in place of noodles; start it before chopping the vegetables and follow its packet instructions. For a little heat, put sliced fresh chilli on the table so everyone can add their own. Extra lime wedges let you adjust the sharpness without changing the whole pan.
Simple variations
- Use sugar snap peas: swap them for the mangetout in the same quantity. Slice thicker pods lengthways if you prefer them less crunchy.
- Try courgette: replace the pepper with a small courgette cut into slim batons. Cook it briefly and avoid overcrowding, as it releases moisture.
- Use cooked prawns: choose 250g peeled cooked prawns and omit the initial prawn-frying step. Add them only at the end and heat until piping hot throughout. Follow their storage instructions.
- Change the finish: leave out coriander if you dislike it. The spring onion greens and lime provide plenty of freshness on their own.
Preparing ahead and storing leftovers
You can slice the vegetables and mix the soy sauce with the water earlier in the day. Keep everything covered in the fridge, with raw prawns in a separate sealed container below ready-to-eat food. Cook the stir-fry shortly before serving for the best texture.
Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate within two hours and eat within two days, or sooner if the prawn packaging directs. Reheat only once, stirring until piping hot throughout. A splash of water helps loosen chilled noodles. If serving rice, cool it quickly, ideally within one hour, refrigerate and use within 24 hours. The vegetables will soften on reheating, so freshly cooked portions give the crispest result.
