Hakka stir-fried aubergine and fish-fragrant aubergine look much alike; the main difference is that the Hakka version uses a great deal of Thai basil. This newer method seasons it with shallot sauce, so the pork, the shallots and the basil all work on each other. It is extremely good — and with nothing but white rice it is a full meal. Perhaps in a few years people will be talking about “Cheng family stir-fried aubergine”, but its ancestry is Hakka all the same.



Ingredients:
Aubergine 300 g (about 2)
Thai basil 20 g
Minced pork 60 g

Seasoning:
Soy sauce 2 tbsp
Sugar 1 tbsp
Rice wine 2 tbsp
Shallot sauce 1.5 tbsp

Water about 3–4 tbsp


Method:
1. Cut the aubergines into lengths, then halve or quarter them.
2. Blanch them in oil at 130°C for about 60 seconds, then lift out and set aside.



3. Heat oil in a wok and break up the minced pork.
4. Add the soy sauce, sugar, rice wine and shallot sauce and stir until fragrant.
5. Add the aubergine and stir for a while.
6. Add the water and cook until the aubergine is completely soft and has taken on the flavour.
7. Add the Thai basil leaves, stir briefly, and take the pan off the heat.



Cheng Chi shallot sauce takes a step out of cooking: there is no need to fry off aromatics at all, which makes for a lighter, safer way of seasoning food. What do you make of it? One try is usually enough.