Chinese garlic aubergine, a vegetarian recipe

Name: Chinese garlic aubergine
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 700 g long aubergines, cut into batons; 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 3 cm piece of ginger, chopped; 3 spring onions, white and green parts separated; 1½ tbsp chilli bean paste (doubanjiang); 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1½ tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar; 1½ tbsp sugar; 1 tsp cornflour slaked in 100 ml water; 4 tbsp neutral oil; 1 tsp sesame oil

Method

Salt the aubergine batons and leave them in a colander for 15 minutes, then pat them thoroughly dry.
Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and slaked cornflour in a bowl ahead of time; the wok moves fast.
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat and sear the aubergine for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring little, until browned and collapsed. Lift out and set aside.
Add the remaining oil, turn the heat to medium and fry the chilli bean paste for 1 minute, until the oil runs red.
Add the garlic, ginger and spring onion whites and stir for only 30 seconds, or they will turn bitter.
Return the aubergine, pour in the bowl of sauce and let it bubble for 2 minutes until it thickens and glosses.
Off the heat, stir in the sesame oil and spring onion greens, and serve straight away with rice.

The Chinese name means “fish-fragrant aubergine”, not because there is any fish in it, but because it borrows the seasoning traditionally used for fish. Salting the aubergine first means it soaks up far less oil.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.
Reduce
Uncovered, water leaves and flavour concentrates. It is done when the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Frequently asked questions

What can replace doubanjiang?

There is no exact substitute, since it supplies the salt, the heat and the fermented depth all at once. Another fermented chilli paste comes closest, but most are sweeter: halve the tablespoon and a half of sugar in that case and taste before adjusting.

How do I make this gluten free?

Three ingredients are the problem. Swap the soy sauce for tamari labelled wheat free, and check the label on the doubanjiang, as many brands contain wheat flour. Chinkiang black vinegar is fermented from glutinous rice but often contains wheat bran too, so read that label as well.

Why mix the sauce in a bowl before starting?

In a wok everything happens in seconds: the garlic would scorch while you measured out the vinegar. Having the bowl ready lets you add it all in one movement. Stir it again right before pouring, because the cornflour settles within minutes and would no longer thicken the sauce.

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Chinese garlic aubergine

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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