A big thanks to Bodhi Restaurant Bar head chef Brooke Ng for this soul-warming Sichuan-style eggplant vegan dish. The ultimate comfort food, it's one of her favourites - something she says her grandma would make it for her when she was young. It’s vegan-friendly and vegetarian, and easy to make, even if you’re not a competent cook.
Ingredients:
500g eggplant
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger (minced/finely grated)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp spicy bean paste
10 Sichuan peppercorns
1 tsp fresh coriander (for garnish)
Sauce:
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
1 tsp Chinese cooking wine
1 tsp cornstarch
Method:
1. Mix sauce ingredients in a medium size bowl, mix well and set aside.
2. Cut eggplant into strips and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a wok or a large pan on low heat. Add Sichuan peppercorns, frying for about 15
seconds to release flavours. Add ginger and spicy bean paste to the wok/pan. Stir fry until
red oil separates from the paste, about 20 seconds.
4. Turn up the heat, add eggplant to the wok, fry until it becomes soft, about 5 minutes.
5. Add sauce mixture to the wok/pan, mix well, let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
6. Transfer eggplant onto a serving plate, sprinkle coriander over the dish as garnish, and
serve immediately.