108. Crispy fried aubergine (V)

Simple homemade crispy aubergine

炸茄排

Cold, cold!! This morning, when I opened the blinds, the grass and the trees, even the walls in the garden were all covered by a layer of frost -- it reminded me of a winter back my home town just after snow, light snow. But the sun was out, bright but cold -- the typical winter sun. The surface of the whole garden was ‘shining’ in the sun. That brings me joy. :))

This month is a very important month in China -- the Chinese new year. The first celebration will actually start tomorrow! So… I am sorry that you are going to read all my posts about Chinese new year and ‘New Year food’. Yesterday, when we went to the shops, there were many red lanterns hanging, and Chinese food, packed in fancy red packages, was promoted everywhere. It was very nice to feel the festival atmosphere in a foreign country far far away from home. :))

But, for today, I am sharing a simple recipe before all the ‘heavy’ celebration cooking starts. :)) It is an aubergine dish, in Chinese it is called ‘qie pai’. I think the name and the actual cooking method originates from the western grilled ‘beef steak’. So there you go, not all of Chinese food is so ‘traditional’, this one is definitely ‘modern...ish’ (my grandma wouldn’t know how to make it), it does combine western cuisine’s elements. :))


If I talk about the method, you will certainly find it familiar --- to wrap the aubergine slices with egg and flour mix and bread crumbs, then fry it. ---- Familiar, no? There are two versions of this method, but with different ingredients, one is with beef, another is this one with aubergine.

I actually really like it -- the crispiness, and the aubergine itself does not have to absorb too much oil. I never really learned how to make the ‘similar’ ‘coating’ method in western cuisine, I learned the method for this recipe from my uncle. :) He always says that the trick is to use egg white mix with flour to make the ‘coating’ before covering it with bread crumbs, for the crispiness, which is particular useful when cooking with beef.

As for the type of aubergine, I normally use the big and round ones sold in the normally supermarkets over here, the purple slender Chinese ones are not suitable for this dish. If you are in China, choose those green round ones -- they are tasty!

Here you go.

Ingredients:

Aubergine (one big size aubergine)

Egg white, plain flour, corn flour, bread crumbs, oil, salt and white pepper (for serving)

Preparation:

1) Peel and slice the aubergine into around 0.5cm thin layers.

2) In a mixing bowl, mix around three egg whites with 1/2 cup of corn flour, and probably 2 tablespoons of plain flour, 1 teaspoon of salt to make it into a thin paste. (The good thing about using corn flour is that you create a much thinner layer of the ‘wrap’, so you won’t feel like ‘eating’ fried flour.)

3）Spread bread crumbs on the flat plate.

4） Prepare salt and white pepper mix, half salt, half white pepper. (The mix can also be ‘stir-fried’ in a dry wok to enhance its flavor.)

Cooking:

1) Dip sliced aubergine in the egg white and flour mix.

2) Then dip on the bread crumbs. Let the bread crumbs evenly coated on the aubergine.

3) In a flat sauce pan, pour in oil, enough to cover the bottom of the sauce pan. When the oil is hot enough, place coated aubergine slices in. Turn time to time.

4) Before serving, chop fried aubergine into ‘strips’. And place the salt and white pepper mix on the side. ---

---- Done!!!

It is a good ‘company’ to beer. :)) I like to have it with rice or ‘flat bread’ bings.