AUBERGINE, CHILLI, SOY

Crisp aubergines. Hot, sweet chilli sauce. • I use small aubergines, the size of a duck egg, for this. They tend to live in Middle Eastern and Asian greengrocers. The heat of the oil is important, being hot enough to set the thin batter but not so hot it burns before the flesh is cooked. About 160°C is fine.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Whisk together the egg, water and flour. Salt it lightly and set aside.

Step 2

Put the brown sugar in a small saucepan with the vinegar, soy sauce and chilli paste. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and put to one side. Tip the sesame seeds into a small, shallow pan and toast over a moderate heat until fragrant and walnut brown. Remove the pan from the heat.

Step 3

Slice each aubergine in half lengthways and then into six segments. Heat the oil in a small, deep pan, then, when it is thoroughly hot, dip the aubergine pieces in the batter and add them carefully to the oil. Cook for five minutes or until the outer batter is crisp, the inner flesh soft as marshmallow.

Step 4

Drain each piece of aubergine briefly on kitchen paper then trickle over the chilli sauce, sprinkle with some of the sesame seeds, and serve with a little coriander for those who like it, and perhaps a small, ripe chilli, sliced as thin as tissue paper.