Simple Sichuan aubergine

I absolutely love aubergine, and this is a recipe I learnt when I attended School of Wok’s Authentic Chinese Cookery class. I adapted it slightly to my tastes, and it’s fantastic. The yellow bean sauce is slightly hard to acquire, so if you can’t find it, don’t worry. However, the chili bean paste is the key ingredient, so don’t even think about omitting it! This aubergine is a great side dish, or snack, or even a full dinner when you’re not that hungry…

Serves 2

• 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 aubergine, sliced and quartered

Sauce:

• 1 tsp chili bean paste
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• Pinch garlic powder
• Dash of water
• 1 tbsp yellow bean paste (optional)

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.

Heat a large frying pan with the vegetable oil. Fry the aubergine. The trick here is to throw all the slices into the pan and very quickly stir them so all the pieces are covered on both sides with oil. That way, you won’t need to add more oil and the slices won’t burn. Cook on medium-high heat until they turn golden brown, stirring frequently. Pour the sauce into the pan, stir and let simmer on medium heat for another 3-4 minutes.

Serve hot!