1. Heat oil in a saute pan or wok, then add onion pieces and bell pepper. Stirfry until hot.

  2. Add prawns and toss quickly. Immediately add cucumber and tomato and pineapple. Cook everything over a very high heat.

  3. Season with sugar and vinegar. Add fish sauce or soy sauce for a touch of saltiness as this dish is usually sweet and sour.

  4. Spoon this dish onto a plate and serve hot with other main dishes.

  This Thai sweet and sour dish differs from the Chinese variety in that the sauce has no starch thus the dish is much lighter and more delicate. It also does not have tomato ketchup in it.

  Thai cooking can sometimes prove difficult due to the fact that Thai ingredients vary in taste and intensity. One bottle of fish sauce tastes different to another and may also be saltier. So, when cooking Thai food, you have to taste your food as you cook, season it bit by bit and correct the taste as you go along.