We have all probably had a dish from Wagamamas, my fave being Firecracker Prawn.

This dish I made for a quick dinner literally using store cupboard ingredients and leftover veg I had in the fridge. Ok, my pantry does have random ingredients in like black sesame seeds and chilli bean paste, but once you have set yourself up with a good larder you can literally create all your favourite Asian dishes.

It’s absolutely delicious.

Recipe (serves 2):

16 prawns – or however many you like!

Half a head of broccoli, cut into bite size florets

A selection of veg; I used a red pepper, Chinese cabbage and a drained can of bamboo shoots but feel free to use what you have available such as sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, carrots.

2 spring onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

1 red chilli, chopped

1 inch of fresh ginger, grated

1 tbsp chilli bean paste

1 tsp tomato puree

1 tbsp soya sauce

200ml water (use less if you think it’s too much! You want it thick-ish)

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

150g (75g per person) of rice

Black sesame seeds to garnish

Get the rice started first of all. Here is a fool-proof way to cook rice: weigh out your rice. Heat up a small sauce pan that has a lid and add 1tsp of a flavourless oil. Add the rice and stir until coated in the oil and keep stiring for a minute or so. Add enough water just to cover 1cm above the rice. Move the pan to the lowest heat you can get, cover the pan with a piece of kitchen towel and put the lid on top. This will create a tight seal and steam the rice perfectly. Cook for 20 minutes. When done, turn off the heat but do not remove the lid! Leave to steam until needed.

Whilst the rice is cooking, get started on the stirfry. This will only take 10 minutes once prepped so plan accordingly.

Heat up a wok with 1 tbsp of oil until very hot. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and 1 of the chopped spring onions. Stir well and quickly, after 30 secs add in the vegetables. After a minute or until the veg has charred at the edges, add in the prawns. Again, after a minute or so, add in the chilli bean sauce, tomato puree, soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce. Stir well until mixed and then add in some water – you might not need all! – cook until bubbly and thick but don’t over cook the prawns, 2 minutes-ish.

Fluff up your rice with a fork and then you can put this into a ramekin and turn out to get a nice mound. Sprinkle with so the sesame seeds.

Serve the stirfry next to the the rice ans top with more sesame seeds and the remaining spring onions.

How quick and easy is that to get your Wagamamas fix!