A brinjal is a type of plant in many disguises, simply because it can also be called an eggplant (English/American), an aubergine (European), a melongene or a guinea squash. Asians usually identify them as brinjals, which in turn usually refers to the longer, slimmer breed.
Where I work at now, there is a staff canteen which serves up huge quantities of vegetables and meat for employees. 10 out of 10 times that it served stir-fried brinjals would I eat them. I’ve been thinking about trying to cook this dish at home myself, given that I’ve never really had a chance to do so when the guy is around – for some strange reasons, he doesn’t fancy this plant at all. He admitted to the deprivation that I’ve been subjected to all these years and wished me all the best.
Perhaps, this is also a good time for me to try cooking all sorts of things that he doesn’t eat, while he’s not around. I should go stock up on my supply of garlic soon.
Ingredients:
- Oil: 3 tbsp
- Brinjal: 800g, stalk removed, sliced (1-cm thick)
- Red chilli: 3, finely chopped
- Fish sauce: 2 tbsp
- Dark soy sauce: 2 tbsp
- Oyster sauce: 1 tbsp
- Lee Kum Kee chilli bean sauce: 2 tbsp
- White vinegar: 1 tbsp
- Shaoxing wine: 2 tbsp
- Sugar: 2 tsp
- Sesame oil: 2 tsp
- Water: 1/2 cup
- Coriander: roughly chopped
- Cornflour mixture: 3 tsp cornflour + 1/2 cup water
Method:
- Heat oil in wok. Fry brinjals till a bit browned.
- Add chillies into wok. Leave to cook for 1min.
- Stir in all the sauces, vinegar, wine, sugar and sesame oil.
- Add water. Leave to boil on low heat for 10 mins.
- Stir in 3/4 of coriander and cornflour mixture.
- Leave to cook for another 10 – 15 mins on low heat till brinjals are completely softened.
- Garnish with the rest of the coriander to serve.
Trick:
- The brinjals have to be left to cook for long enough so as to soften the flesh. This in turn allows the flesh to absorb the sauces more easily.
Fiery rating:
😈 😈 😈 😈
Serving:
4 – 5 persons as side dish
