FISH FRAGRANT EGGPLANT

According to the Chef Madame Yee Ho of this cookbook, there  are 21 distinct flavours in Szechuan cuisine.  The best known are Gung Bao, Peppery Hot, Sour Hot, Garlic Sauce, Ginger Sauce, Five Fragrant, Odd Flavour and Fish Fragrant.  No matter how hard you try, this dish never tastes fishy.  It is called Fish Fragrant because the original recipe called for oil in which fish was fried.

Anyway, without the fried fish oil, this stir fried eggplant looks tempting and delicious.  I have modified the recipe a little to make it simple and easy hoping not to compromise the taste and flavor.

This dish is good, flavourful soft eggplant and minced meat and prawns are tasty, a little spicy, sweet and savoury.

Recipe adapted from ‘You Can Cook Anything Chinese’ by Madame Yee Yo with modifications

Ingredients

500 gm Chinese eggplant

50 gm minced meat

50 gm minced prawns [can use all meat]

1 tbsp each of chopped garlic and ginger

1 stalk spring onions – chopped

1 tbsp preserved soy bean paste [taucheong] – chopped

1 tsp chilli boh [you can use 1 tbsp dao ban jiang]

Seasoning

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp each of black vinegar, wine and honey

1 tbsp light soy sauce

80 ml water

1 tsp sesame oil

 

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non stick wok, sauté ginger,  garlic and spring onions until aromatic. Add in taucheong and chilli boh.   Stir fry untii fragrant.
2. Add in minced meat and prawns, stir fry until meat/prawns are firm, then add in eggplant. Stir fry to mix well, then add in seasoning and water.  Mix well.
3. Cover to cook for 5-10 minutes and stirring in between cooking.  Add more water if you prefer some gravy for this dish.
4. Uncover and sprinkle spring onions when eggplant are soft.
5. Dish up to serve.
   
   

I am sharing this post with Cookbook Countdown Event #21 hosted by Joyce and Emily of Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking [Makan2] Foray respectively