Easy Chinese dinner party menu

The menu

• Light meals & snacks

  Salt and pepper Sichuan prawns with soy chilli dipping sauce

• Main course

  Chicken, cashew nut and basil stir fry

• Cakes and baking

  Mango and white chocolate cake with toasted coconut

Menu ingredients

Serves 4

• Fruit and vegetables

  • 1 small spring onion

  • 1 small red chilli

  • 1 red chilli, (seeds removed if you prefer it slightly less hot), finely sliced

  • 1 green chilli, (seeds removed if you prefer it slightly less hot), finely sliced

  • 2-3 peppers, mixed colours, cut into strips

  • 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and cut into 3cm/1¼in pieces

  • 2-3 red chillies, deseeded (if preferred for less heat) and cut into long strips

  • 3cm/1¼in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • large handful basil leaves

  • 2 lemons, finely grated zest only

  • 1 lime, finely grated zest only

  • 250g/9oz mango, diced (approximately 2 medium mangoes)

  • 1 lime, finely grated zest only (optional)

• Tins, packets and jars

  • 250g/9oz brown or white long grain or basmati rice or quinoa

  • 100ml/3½fl oz chicken stock

  • 3 tbsp hoisin sauce (alternatively use soy sauce)

• Cooking ingredients

  • 4 tbsp dark soy sauce

  • 1 tsp soft light brown sugar

  • ½ tsp Sichuan pepper seeds

  • flaked sea salt

  • 2 tsp five-spice powder

  • 1 tsp sunflower oil

  • 2 tsp five-spice powder

  • 125g/4½oz cashew nuts

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil

  • flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tsp cornflour

  • a little sunflower oil, for greasing

  • 225g/8oz caster sugar

  • 225g/8oz self-raising flour

  • 400g/14oz icing sugar

  • 2 tsp desiccated coconut, toasted

• Biscuits, snacks and sweets

  • 200g/7oz white chocolate

• Dairy, eggs and chilled

  • 225g/8oz butter, softened

  • 4 free-range eggs

  • 200g/7oz butter, softened

• Meat, fish and poultry

  • 5 tbsp mirin

  • 40 raw, peeled tiger prawns, deveined

  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 225g/8oz each), cut into bite-sized chunks

By Lorraine Pascale