I had excess aubergine and no idea what to do with it. To be honest it’s not my favorite vegetable and my mum had been doing battered Aubergine all week and I was TIRED of it. So I went to our old friend google to get some inspiration that also didn’t involve a grocery run.
I then happened to find hoi sin sauce in my pantry and thought, why not. The result was a vegetarian dish with sone great flavors.
Not the usual treatment of Aubergine but I must say, it delivered on flavour and ease of cooking and I had mine with rice noodles for lunch but one can have it as a side or even on its own.
Serves 2
2 large eggplant , chopped into 1/2 inch rings
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon ginger , minced
3 cloves garlic , chopped
3 chopped red chilies
Sauce
1 jar Hoi Sin sauce
Place the sliced eggplant on a kitchen towel and then sprinkle salt on both surfaces of the sliced eggplant. Let them sit for about an hour. After an hour, pat the eggplant dry. Don't rinse the eggplant. (This helps to remove the bitterness from the vegetable and draw out excess water)
Sprinkle the cornstarch on to the eggplant using a sieve then mix by hand, until the eggplant is evenly coated with with a thin layer of cornstarch. Add some oil to a big nonstick frying pan and heat over medium heat until hot. Place the eggplant on the bottom of the pan making sure they aren't overlapping. Cook the eggplant on one side until they are brown and slightly charred; flip the eggplant over and repeat.
Put the eggplants on a plate and turn down the heat on the pan.
Pour about 2 tablespoons of oil, the ginger, half of the chili and garlic into the same skillet. Stir a few times until fragrant. Add all the eggplant back into the skillet. Lower the heat and then add half a jar of your Hoi Sin sauce, about 100ml. Stir a few times, until the eggplant is evenly coated. If the sauce is too thick or you’d like a bit of sauce, add some water you your liking, mix it in well and warm through then take the food off the heat. Transfer everything to a big plate and garnish with the rest of the chili.
Serve hot as a side or as main over steamed rice or noodles.