INGREDIENTS

■ 450g|1lb peeled prawns, or shrimp

■ 2 cups|360g of rice

■ 3 baby Chinese cabbage, or 6 small cabbage wedges about 2.5cm|1" thick

■ 1 medium onion, finely chopped

■ 450g|1lb tomatoes, approximately 4 large tomatoes

■ 2 cloves of garlic

■ water for blanching

■ 4 cups|960ml of reserved cabbage blanching water

■ salt and white pepper

■ 6 tablespoons of olive oil

■ 1/4 cup of chopped coriander

DIRECTIONS

1. Season the prawns with salt and pepper. Finely chop the onion, tomato and garlic separately. Halve or cut the cabbage to wedges, keeping leaves intact with the stem.

2. Heat a saucepan of water large enough to hold the cabbage, add salt and bring to a boil. Add the cabbage halves and blanche for 3 minutes. Remove the cabbage from the pan with tongs and plunge into iced water. Reserve the cabbage cooking water to cook the rice.

3. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in frying pan and lightly saute the prawns till just coloured, remove the prawns from the pan and set aside.

4. Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan and fry the onion till translucent and softened, then add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook on medium heat stirring until the liquid is released and then cook till most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove 3/4 of the onion and tomato mixture from the pan and set aside.

5. Add the raw rice to the remaining tomato mixture in the pan and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add enough cabbage cooking liquid to the pan to cook the rice, approximately 4 cups|960ml, salt and white pepper. Bring the pan to a boil, add the cabbage wedges then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.

6. When the liquid has reduced and the rice starts to dry, about 10 minutes, put the prawns on top of the rice and re-cover. Simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.

7. Remove the cabbage halves from the pan to a serving dish. Stir the reserved onion and tomato into the rice and prawns and heat through 2-3 minutes before plating and garnishing with chopped coriander.