Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for hot and sour noodle soup with tamarind and prawns | Quick and easy

Just the right balance of fragrant herbs and sour tamarind, with a tickle of spice: a lovely light lunch or dinner I could drink tamarind broth in lieu of tea or coffee. The heat in this dish comes from the judicious use of black peppercorns that are coarsely ground in a mortar, but please do this mindfully. I have been known to grind the pepper overzealously into a dust, which is a mistake, because the resulting broth will take your head off. Add rice noodles, pak choi and prawns, and you’ve got a warming yet fresh and light dinner in 30 minutes.