With summer almost here, now is the perfect time to cook one of my favourite proteins: prawns! This is a great easy stir fry dish I’ve based on a recipe by Masterchef Justine Schofield. Full of mushrooms and eggplant, it’s a tasty way to get your three serves of vege for the day.

PRAWN, EGGPLANT & SHIITAKE MUSHROOM STIR FRY

25g dried shiitake mushrooms
400g green prawns, peeled & deveined
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch knob of ginger, finely grated
2 long red chillis, finely chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 large eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp cornflour
1/2 cup unsalted cashew nuts
1/2 cup roughly chopped coriander, plus extra to serve

1. Pour enough boiling water over mushrooms to cover and set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine prawns, garlic, ginger, chillis, sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, honey, and Shaoxing wine. Set aside.
3. Heat canola oil in a wok. Add eggplant and cook until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add prawns and cook until they begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes.
4. Drain the mushrooms and reserve the liquid. Add the mushrooms to the pan.
5. Measure out 1/2 cup of the mushroom liquid. Whisk in the cornflour and add to the pan. Stir until sauce thickens, then add cashews and coriander.
6. Serve hot with steamed rice or noodles, topped with extra coriander.

Serves 2