Fish Fragrant Eggplant

The first Chinese dish post! I'm excited to try it because I love eggplant!

Ingredients (serves 2):
- 1 medium or large aubergine, sliced into stips about 1cm thick and 5cm long aka eggplant
- Oil for frying and cooking- 200g minced pork
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chili bean paste (香辣豆瓣酱)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp light Soy Sauce
- 2 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
- 100ml water
- 2 tsp Chinese black vinegar (I use Chin Kiang brand)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Coriander or spring onions for garnish, finely chopped.

Make it!
Sprinkle the aubergine slices with salt and leave for 30min to draw out some of the moisture and bitterness. Rinse and pat dry. Skip this step if using the long and slim Asian variety.

Fry the aubergine slices in hot oil for about 3-4 min, until slightly golden. Drain on some paper towels. This step is optional but gives extra flavour to the dish. Aubergine tends to soak up oil when it is still raw so I usually put it in the microwave on full power for 2 minute so that it is semi-cooked and absorbs less oil. Or you can just start from the step below.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds and then add the minced pork. Brown the meat and break up any lumps, cooking until hardly any pink colour remains. Add the chilli bean sauce, water, sugar and light soy sauce and mix well. Add the aubergine slices, stir to mix and simmer for a few minutes.

Add the cornstarch mixture and stir through. Simmer for a minute to thicken the sauce. Finally, add the black vinegar and sesame oil and mix evenly. Remove from heat and serve with a sprinkle of chopped coriander or spring onions.