Sweet and sour aubergine

How many ways with the humble aubergine? As many as you like; and this wonderfully meaty veg fares exquisitely in this sweet and sour sauce, needing not much else to enhance it to epic proportions. It is a recipe adapted from an Olive magazine recipe, which I suspect works well with other ingredients such as tofu. That is now next on my list to sweeten up and sour.

What you will need

2 table spoons sesame oil

1 aubergine

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

100g green beans

100g carrots

2 dried chillies (optional)

2 table spoons sugar

2 table spoons red wine vinegar

2 tea spoons soy sauce

2 tea spoons corn flour

Fresh coriander

 

Begin by cubing the aubergine, slicing the onion, topping and tailing the green beans and peeling and cutting the carrots into sticks. As well as crushing the garlic.

 

Fry the aubergine and onion in the sesame oil for 5 minutes until softened and browned.

 

Meanwhile, blend together the sugar and vinegar until the sugar dissolves, then add in the soy sauce and corn flour.

 

When the aubergine has cooked, add the garlic, carrots and green beans to the pan for a further 5 minutes. Add a little bit of water if necessary.

 

Finally add the dried chillies to the pan, season with salt and pepper before adding the sweet and sour sauce. Stir through for one minute before serving.

 

Serve over fresh basmati rice or noodles and garnish with fresh coriander. Gipsy Spread had a steak on the side of his.