A Chinese influence is evident in this vegetarian feast, but the most distinguishing feature of the dish is the thin omelettes we make to envelop the stir-fried rice. The mushrooms on their own are also good to pass round as a snack with drinks.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 700g shiitake, chestnut or closed-cup mushrooms, stems removed, but kept whole and washed and dried
• oil, for deep-frying

For the marinade

• 4 tablespoons cornflour
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the omelettes

• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the egg-fried rice

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 50g green beans, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 2.5 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 50g shelled peas, fresh or thawed (optional; preferably petits pois)
• ½ carrot, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• A pinch salt
• A pinch ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• 250g basmati rice, boiled
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

For the stir-fry

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 dried red chillies, broken into smaller pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 100g tender bamboo shoots, sliced 5 mm thick
• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon chives, chopped

Method:

First make the omelettes. Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them lightly with the soy sauce. Heat a few drops of oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and pour in one-quarter of the egg mixture. Cook, without stirring, on a medium-high heat until the omelette begins to set, then remove the pan from the heat (without turning the omelette over) and leave the omelette to finish cooking in the residual heat. Remove from the pan and make 3 more. Set aside and keep warm.

Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl, add the mushrooms and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the egg-fried rice. Heat the oil in the frying pan, add the beans, chillies, ginger and the peas and carrot, if using, and stir-fry, on a high heat, for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper and stir-fry for another minute. Break the egg into the pan and scramble, on a high heat, for 30 seconds, then fold in the rice and sesame oil and stir until mixed well and heated through. Lay the omelettes on a work surface, divide the egg-fried rice between them and wrap each to make a neat parcel. Set aside and keep hot.

To deep-fry the mushrooms, heat enough oil for deep-frying in a deep-fat fryer or a deep, heavy-based saucepan to 190°C. If necessary shake any excess liquid off the mushrooms before deep-frying for about 3 minutes, until they are crisp and golden. Drain well on kitchen paper.

For the stir-fry, heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan until smoking point. Add the dried red chillies and stir them quickly.

As they start to darken, quickly stir in the garlic. Almost immediately it will start to change colour. Now add the onions and the deep-fried mushrooms and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the bamboo shoots and stir for another couple of minutes. Add the sugar, chilli powder, cumin and salt and stir-fry for another minute. Add the soy sauce and mix well. Finish with the lemon juice and sprinkle with the spring onions and chopped chives.

Serve immediately with the egg-fried-rice parcels.

Tip: The secret of any stir-fry is that you should never let the heat in the pan go down; the heat of your burner should always be on maximum the whole time. Add an ingredient to the pan only when you think it’s hot enough.