Sharmila on Food

A steamy way with aubergines

Chinese cooking techniques and flavours + aubergines = maximum tastiness.  Fish fragrant aubergines are a particular example of this simple equation.  Intensely savoury flavours coupled with the melting tenderness of well cooked aubergine flesh.  Until now, I’d always thought the only ways with aubergines were: frying, deep frying, or charring on the grill/stove until the flesh has basically collapsed to a pulp.  However, I recently tried out a Fuchsia Dunlop recipe that take aubergines into a different direction. This recipe calls for steaming them.

My initial reaction was “steamed aubergines: bleurgh”.  However, I gave it a go, and was really impressed.  The flesh retains that wonderfully soft character that any well cooked aubergine should have (aubergines should never, ever taste hard or spongy).  Moreover, it’s healthy!  Now, I’m no health freak, but a lot of my favourite Chinese aubergine dishes do call for cooking this purple fruit in a ton of oil.  As well as not being too good for the arteries, it also renders cooking implements a bugger to clean.  I am a bit lazy - I think about these things.

Anyway, I would urge anyone who is a fan of aubergines, especially in Chinese dishes, to have a go at steaming them.  You will be pleasantly surprised.

Steamed aubergine with chilli oil (adapted from Sichuan Cookery by Fuchsia Dunlop)

1 large aubergine

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp chilli oil with chilli sediment

1/2 tsp chiankiang black vinegar

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1tsp sugar

a bit of salt

1. Slice your aubergine in half and trim the top stem.  Sprinkle the cut sides with some salt and leave for at least 30 minutes to draw out the bitter juices.

2. Steam the aubergines until nice and soft.  Leave to cool.

3. In a small dish, combine the soy sauce, sugar and vinegar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the chilli and sesame oil and stir.

4. Cut the aubergine into small chunks. Dunlop suggests dipping the aubergines in the sauce.  However, I just combined it all in one dish with the aubergine and it tasted fab.