Chinese Recipe : Hot Spicy Eggplant

This is a vegetarian dish.

Ingredients:

• 5 eggplants (the long thin variety, approx 600g)

A:

• 6 water chestnuts
• 1 small piece of ginger
• A few Chinese mushrooms
• A few leaves sweet basil

B:

• ½ tbsp hot bean paste
• ½ tbsp hot chili paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp MSG (optional)
• 1 cup water

C:

• 1/3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp water

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

1. Peel the eggplant and cut into 5 cm sections. Deep-fry in oil (120°C) for 3 minutes; remove and drain.
2. Chop the ingredients of 'A' and fry in 2 tbsp hot oil over high heat until fragrant; add the eggplant and 'B', and cook for 3 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to one quarter.
3. Add 'C' and the sesame oil; stir thoroughly until mixed; remove and serve.

Note:

1. As soon as you have cut the eggplant into sections, put them in cold water otherwise they will turn black.
2. If you use the round thick eggplants, then first cut lengthwise into strips of 2.5cm thick.