Sichuan Aubergine

Ever since Tompa returned from his latest San Francisco trip and brought me all those wonderful kitchen gifts (I must have been a pretty good girl for getting a brand-new iron casted wok, superb-quality rice wine, Chinese Wok cookbook and other stuff), I went Chinese food nuts. All the time, I am thinking, 麻婆豆腐 — ma po dou fu, 鱼香茄子 — yu xiang qie zi, some crazy hot-ass hot pot and other spicy treats. This Chinese craze has, once again, re-discovered a hidden supply of Sechuan Pepper (麻花 ma hua - numbing flower) - my favorite Chinese spice:

These roundish, bumpy shells have of a very distinctive aroma are best when heated in oil and added to chillies and veggies, making a simple spicy wok stir-fry. Once bitten into, they release their powerful almost liquorish aroma and make your lips go numb for a second, while your mouth starts producing saliva. Fun, eh?

Here is one of my favorite, earthy:

SECHUAN EGGPLANT:
(麻辣茄子 ma la qie zi)

• 500 g aubergine (eggplant)
  
• bunch of coriander (roots and stems included)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 5 cm fresh ginger
• 3 shallots
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp soy sauce (or mix dark and light variety)
• 5 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 5 tbsp rice wine (Shaoxing type is the best)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp chilli oil *
• 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, dry-fried and pounded
  

* Note: To make your own chilli oil, finely chop 4 large fresh chillies, sprinkle with salt and pour over 200 ml hot oil. Let cool down, strain and use.

Prepare the aubergines. Cut them in half lengthways and then into smaller cubes. Place in colander, sprinkle with salt and set aside for 20 minutes.
Meantime, separate the stems and leaves from fresh coriander, chop the stems roughly and pound them, together with the roots, in a mortar.
Pat the aubergines with a clean paper towel.
In a wok, heat the oil until smoking hot and shallow fry the aubergine cubes. Set aside on a kitchen paper.
Return oil to the wok, fry the onions, garlic and ginger for a minute. Add the pounded coriander roots and stems and fry for another minute or two.
Add the liquid and sugar, allow to bubble for a minute. Lower the heat, and cook for another minute. Add the aubergines and toss them, so they are well coated in the sauce. Add the chili oil, Szechuan pepper, mix well and turn off the heat.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve while still hot.

This one goes to Vegetable Of The Week Event over at Creative Pooja. This month´s theme being Brinjal, Eggplant, Aubergine, 茄子 - Qie Zi, Baklažán, however you want to call it :-)