I love how vegetables can take a leading role at mealtimes in China. Instead of being the supporting side dish, veggies can (and do) take centre stage. Accustomed to a “meat and two veg” style of meal, I recently stumbled upon a dish which contained a vegetable that managed to satisfy my inner carnivore; the aubergine.

Aubergines are a very popular vegetable as they as their flesh is soft, substantial and can soak up a lot of beautiful flavours. One dish I have fallen for is Stewed Aubergines & Mushrooms; comforting, flavourful and filling. This was the best recipe I could find and recreate.

Serves: 3
Method: Stew
Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: 5/10

INGREDIENTS

1. 2 medium sized aubergines (sliced into 6 long wedges, keep in salted water until you are ready to cook them!)
2. 16 dried shiitake mushrooms
3. 4 gloves of garlic (finely chopped)
4. 2-3cm piece of ginger (peeled and sliced)
5. 2 medium red onions (sliced)
6. 2 tbsp groundnut oil
7. 200-300ml stock (fish preferably, but meat or veg stock is fine)
8. 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
9. 1 ½ tbsp oyster sauce
10. ½ tbsp fish sauce
11. 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
12. 2 tbsp light soy sauce
13. 1 tsp sesame oil
14. Salt and pepper

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DIRECTIONS

All these ingredients are staple items for any kitchen in China, so you should have no worries finding all in a supermarket! When buying the aubergines, make sure they are not too soft as the cooking will turn them into a sloppy goo; give them a good squeeze before you buy them.

1. Put the shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and soak in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and keep half of the water for later. Heat the oil in a wok on a medium-high heat and then add the garlic and ginger.
2. Quickly fry for around 30 seconds, then add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes until they start to soften and colour on the edges. Lower the heat if the onions start to burn. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Add the shiitake mushrooms and fry for 1 minute. Gradually add about 100ml of your stock and allow to reduce slightly. Keep stirring the onions and mushrooms which will help them to absorb some of the stock. Add around 4 tbsp of the mushroom soaked liquid and then the rice wine vinegar, dark and light soy sauce, oyster sauce and fish sauce.
4. Drain the aubergines and add to the wok, followed by the rest of the fish stock until the aubergines are coated in the sauce. Cover the stew with a lid, lower the temperature slightly and leave to cook gently for 15-20 minutes until the aubergines are soft but still hold their shape.
5. Serve up your stew in bowls and drizzle with a little sesame oil.

This dish is a one pot wonder. Whilst it does seem like a lot of ingredients, the main preparation you need to do is measuring out liquids and slicing a few veg. You need to keep an eye on the amount of liquid you put in and the texture of the aubergine. Too much liquid turns the stew into a broth and too little can make the dish too intense in flavour. So keep checking your stew to make sure you have a good consistency. Do not stew the Aubergines for too long; they will become a mush and unpleasant in texture. The end result is mind blowing in flavour and my friends adored it. You can enjoy it on its own or with a bowl of steamed rice to help soak up that sauce. I can assure, you can serve this to any devout carnivore with an end result of amazement and fulfilment. Will you be a convert?