Vegetable schezwan

1. For par-boiled vegetables heat a pot of water and bring to boil. Put vegetables into the water to half cook or par boil them. It's best to cook them in batches so that the water remains at a strong boil (about 2 minutes per batch of vegetables). Drain immediately and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

2. Take some of the reserved stock and mix with cornflour to the consistency of milk. Set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the seasonings — ginger, garlic, celery, onions and green chilli (about 2-3 minutes). Add chilli paste, dried red chillies (or red chilli powder), and ketchup and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the stock and bring to a boil, add the raw vegetables and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the par-boiled vegetables. Thicken the stock with some of the cornflour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with spring onions and serve immediately.

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