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Claypot Eggplant with Basil
Claypot Eggplant with Basil Recipe
This is a homely recipe for Chinese-style eggplants (brinjal or aubergine) cooked and served in a claypot. If you don’t have a claypot, cook the dish in a regular wok and dished it out on serving plate.
Ingredients:
- 200 grams eggplants cut to 5 cm sections, then cut to smaller “logs”
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 finger-length chilli or 2 chilli padi de-seeded & sliced thinly
- 1 tbsp chilli soy bean paste (spicy “taucheo”/辣豆漿)
- cornstarch slurry dissolve 1 tsp corn starch in 1 tbsp water
- 15 grams fresh sweet basil leaves
- fried shallots to garnish
- chopped spring onions/coriander or fresh basil leaves to garnish
(A) Sauce
- 1/4 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 dashes white pepper powder
- 50 ml (1/4 cup) water
You Also Need:
- a claypot for cooking and serving this dish (may also use a wokpan)
Directions:
- Pre-cook the eggplants using either the microwave, boiling or steaming method. View this tutorial for the instructions. Set aside.
- Cook the aromatics and make the sauce. Heat oil in claypot (or a regular wokpan). Add garlic and chilli; stir fry until the garlic starts to turn colour. Add soybean paste and stir fry briskly until aromatic. Add sauce ingredients (A) and bring to a boil. Thicken the sauce with cornstarch slurry.
- Cook the eggplants and serve. Add cooked eggplants, coating them thoroughly in the sauce with a spatula. Cover claypot with lid and simmer down for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce is reduced to liking. Stir in the basil leaves while the contents are still hot. Serve with steamed rice.
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Looks really appetizing and I bet the sauce would be great for tofu or chicken too.
精益求精 in taking the extra step to pre-cook the eggplant – making the final dish (eggplant) not only taste great, but look good :D