Steamed Prawns w/ Glass Noodles (Goong ob Woonsen)
Thai Prawns with Glass Noodles (Goong Ob Woonsen) is a fragrant Thai-Chinese dish where prawns are cooked together with glass noodles, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and aromatics like garlic, ginger, coriander root, and white pepper. As the noodles steam with the prawns, they absorb all the savory-sweet flavors of the sauce, becoming rich and deeply satisfying.
This authentic recipe was shared by Chef Lyn, chef instructor at the renowned Siam Culinary Academy in Bangkok. With years of professional experience and a deep passion for Thai cuisine, Chef Lyn is passing on the traditions and techniques of Thai cooking to the next generation of chefs — and now, to your own kitchen.
Note that this recipe is made with fresh prawns. You can use pre-cooked prawns, but the dish is more flavorful with fresh ones. If using pre-cooked prawns, skip the marinating step (as they can turn rubbery) and add them at the end of the recipe, just to heat through.
Thai Prawns with Glass Noodles (Goong ob Woonsen)
Ingredients
- 4 large fresh prawns (shell-on, deveined)
- 100 g glass noodles
- 3 stalks spring onions chopped
- 3 stalks Chinese celery chopped
- 1 knob old ginger thinly sliced
- 1 head garlic minced
- 4 coriander roots lightly crushed
- 1 pinch whole white peppercorns crushed
- 1 tbsp ground white pepper
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 ½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp dark sweet soy sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp sesame oil
- 200 ml water
Instructions
- Soak the glass noodles in water until softened, then drain.
- In a bowl, mix water, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark sweet soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. (No need to heat)
- Add the prawns to the sauce and let them marinate for 5 minutes. Then remove the prawns and set them aside in a separate bowl.
- Pour the sauce into a saucepan or clay pot. Arrange the prawns over the sauce, then place the glass noodles on top. Sprinkle with ground white pepper.
- Cover with a lid and cook over low heat until the prawns are pink and just cooked through and the noodles have absorbed most of the sauce (about 6–8 minutes).
- Garnish with spring onions and Chinese celery before serving.
Notes
Related: Thai Spicy Shrimp Soup: Tom Yum Goong
Related: Tom Yum Fried Rice
Related: Thai-Style Pineapple Fried Rice
Related: Authentic Shrimp Pad Thai
Related: Stir-Fry Shrimp & Veggies with Rice Noodles
