Name: Vegan Kung Pao Aubergine
Prep time: 13 min
Cook time: 31 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: chinese
Ingredients: 1 tbsp szechuan peppercorns; 2 tbsp cornflour; 2 null aubergines; 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 clove garlic (chopped thinly); 1 knob fresh ginger (thumb-size, chopped thinly); 2 null spring onions (sliced thinly); 0.5 tsp hot chilli flakes (or 1 tsp for more heat); 0 null salt (to drain aubergine); null null fresh coriander (to garnish); 3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce (for gluten-free version use tamari); 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (scant); 1.5 tbsp maple syrup; 0.5 tbsp cornflour; 2 tbsp water

Instructions

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1

Cut aubergines (2) into thick wedges lengthwise.
2

OPTIONAL: Place [aubergines] in a colander over a deep plate. Sprinkle liberally with [salt] and set aside for 30 minutes to drain. After 30 minutes, wash the [salt] off and blot [aubergine] dry with a piece of kitchen towel.
3

In a pan, dry-roast szechuan peppercorns (1 tbsp) on a low-medium heat for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
4

Grind roasted [szechuan peppercorns] to a fine powder using a pestle and mortar or coffee grinder. Sift it through a small sieve to remove larger bits.
5

Mix ground [szechuan peppercorns] with cornflour (2 tbsp). Brush fleshy parts of the [aubergine] wedges with a bit of olive oil (2 tbsp) and then coat them in the [cornflour] mix.
6

Heat a griddle pan and grill [aubergine] wedges until soft and browned on both sides. You may need to fry [aubergine] in batches if your griddle pan is small. Once ready, set aside.
7

In a bowl, combine cornflour (0.5 tbsp) with water (2 tbsp). Add tamari or soy sauce (3 tbsp), rice wine vinegar (1 tbsp), and maple syrup (1.5 tbsp).
8

Heat olive oil (2 tbsp) in a pan. Add fresh ginger (1 knob) and garlic (4 clove) and fry gently until fragrant and lightly golden. Add onions (2 spring) and hot chilli flakes (0.5 tsp) and fry for another minute.
9

Pour the sauce made in step 7 into the pan with [spring onions]. Bring it to a gentle boil and allow to thicken slightly.
10

Stir in grilled [aubergine] to warm it up gently. Serve over a bowl of steaming hot rice and garnish with fresh [coriander].