Kung Pao beef
| 160 g | basmati rice |
| 1½ tsp | Shaohsing rice wine |
| 1½ tsp | dark soy sauce |
| 1½ tsp | light soy sauce |
| ½ tsp | white wine vinegar |
| 1 tsp | cornflour |
| 1 tbsp | vegetable oil |
| 35 g | unsalted peanuts or cashews |
| 250 g | beef sirloin steak, fat trimmed, sliced into strips |
| 2 | garlic cloves, finely sliced |
| 2 5 | cm |
| 3 | spring onions, sliced diagonally |
| ½ tsp | Szechuan peppercorns, ground to a powder (optional) |
| 1 tsp | crushed chillies |
| Cook the rice to pack instructions, then drain. Put the colander over the pan, cover, and set aside to let the rice steam. |
| Meanwhile, whisk the rice wine, soy sauces and vinegar with 2 tbsp water and the cornflour to make a smooth sauce. |
| Heat a wok over a high heat. Add the oil, swirling around the pan to coat. Add the nuts and stir-fry for 30-40 secs, until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. |
| Add the beef to the wok and sear on a high heat for 1-2 mins, stirring. Add the garlic, ginger and two-thirds of the spring onions, and stir-fry for 2-3 mins, until the beef is just cooked. Add the Szechuan pepper, if using, and the chillies. Stir-fry for 30 secs, until fragrant. |
| Whisk the sauce again, pour over the beef and stir-fry for 1-2 mins. Add the remaining spring onion, mix together and serve with the rice. |