Ingredients:

Prawns: 8-12 small

Fish fillets: 2 medium

Eggplant (brinjal): 1 medium

Onion: 1 medium

Button mushrooms: 8

Ladyfingers: 8

Cauliflower: 1/4 medium

Lotus root: 1

Carrot: 1 medium

French beans: 4

Spinach: 1/4 bunch

Batter: Egg: 1

Refined flour: 1/2 cup

Salt: to taste

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Method of preparation:

1. Shell, de-vein aqnd wash the prawns thoroughly. Pat dry on a kitchen towel.

2. If desired keep the tail of the prawn on and make a few incisions on the lower side of the prawn to prevent curling while cooking.

3. Cut the fish into small even sized strips.

4. Wash, trim and cut the brinjal into thin slices, sprinkle some salt and leave aside.

5. Rinse and dry the brinjal. Peel, wash and finely slice the onion. Clean, wipe and cut the mushrooms into two.

6. Wash, wipe and cut the tip of the ladyfingers and make a slit on it without cutting through.

7. Cut the cauliflower into even sized florets. Wash the lotus root thoroughly, dry, cut into slices and keep aside.

8. Wash, peel and thinly slice the carrot. Wash, string and cut the French beans into 1 inch pieces. Wash and pat dry the spinach leaves and keep them whole.

9. Heat oil in a deep pan or wok. While it is getting hot, quickly make the batter by whisking the egg with 3/4 cup cold water.

10.Gradually mix in the flour and slat. Mix the batter well with a very light hand without working it too much.

11.When the oil is hot, start frying the ingredients one by one. Dip each piece into the batter, shake the excess batter off and slide into the hot oil. Cook till crisp, drain on an absorbent towel.

12.Do the same with all the assembled ingredients. Do not cook too many pieces at once, as the temperature will drop too much.

13.Serve hot with an assortment of sauces.

TIPS: During the preparation the batter should be kept cold by standing it in an ice bath. The batter only lasts for 2-3 minutes after frying and is light and only just coats the vegetables, thereby allowing a glimpse of the ingredient colours to peep through after cooking, which greatly enhances the attractiveness.