Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the rice and cover. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the rice is just tender.

Meanwhile, bring another pan of salted water to the boil. Add the carrots, parsnip and turnip and cover. Lower the heat and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until all the

vegetables are barely tender.

Drain the cooked root vegetables and reserve. Drain the rice in a colander and rinse well under hot running water to separate the grains. Drain again.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan, add the onion and garlic, if using, and fry gently for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and lightly coloured.

Add the drained root vegetables

to the pan, together with the mushrooms, tomatoes, peas and rice. Stir well and season to taste with salt and plenty of pepper. Cover the pan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes.

Stir in the eggs and gently turn the mixture so that the egg cooks. Remove from the heat and turn into a warmed serving dish. Garnish with the parsley and serve at once with the Parmesan cheese.