Vegan stew: lilac aubergine in Szechuan sauce
Lilac aubergine in Szechuan sauce is one of my favourite (vegan) Chinese dishes. Now if you can't find lilac aubergines, you can also substitute it with 'regular' aubergines from the supermarket. In that case, cut the seeds from the core and peel the aubergines with a peeler. If you get your hands on a lilac aubergine, leave the skin untouched. This is how I prepare this vegan stew!
Kitchenware
- cutting board
- good chopper
- container (for mixing sauce)
- steam basket or steamer or colander (to be used in combination with wok)
- blender or hand blender
- wok
Ingredients
- 3 lilac aubergines (Can also be replaced with 3 'normal' aubergines.)
- 60 g shiitake mushrooms
- 4 pointed peppers
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 'thumb' of ginger
- 2 ~ 6 dried chillies (Always add chilli peppers to taste. I choose 6 Szechuan dried chillies).
- 3 spring onions
Szechuan sauce
- 2 el light soy sauce
- 1 el dark soy sauce
- 2 el (vegan) oyster sauce (Vegan oyster sauce is shiitake mushroom-based and often sold as 'mushroom stir fry sauce' or something similar).
- 2 el vinegar Chinese rice vinegar, or white natural vinegar
- 3 el sugar cane, brown or white sugar
- 0,5 el Chinese bean sauce On sale as 'Taotje', 'yellow bean sauce' or 'Bean sauce'
- 2 fluorescent cornstarch
- 2 fluorescent sesame oil
- 4 el water
Instructions
Steam the lilac aubergine
- Cut the green top off the lilac aubergines.
- Cut the lilac aubergines into 5 or 6 equal parts.
- Cut the wedges in half along the length and width so that you end up with quarters.
- Drain the lilac aubergines in a colander and set aside.
- Place the wedges in a steamer basket, in a steamer oven or hang a colander in a wok with a lid on top and steam the lilac aubergines for 10 ~ 20 minutes until tender.*
Cut the vegetables
- While the lilac aubergines are cooking, you can already cut the remaining vegetables.
- Dice the mushrooms and set aside in a bowl.
- Cut the pointed peppers into small pieces and add to the mushrooms.
- Wash the ginger and put it unpeeled with the garlic and dried pepper in a blender/stick blender.
- Puree into a paste.
Prepare the sauce
- Mix all ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and keep stirring until the sugar and cornstarch are nicely dissolved.
Wokken
- Heat oil in a wok to a high temperature.
- Add the garlic, ginger and pepper paste and keep stirring until you smell the aromatics (max 45 seconds).
- Add the mushrooms and a little pointed pepper, stirring constantly (max 30 seconds).
- Add the rest of the pointed peppers, stirring constantly (max 60 seconds).
- Now add the sauce and wait for it to boil.
- Now add the lilac aubergines and stir-fry everything for up to 90 seconds more.
- Add the sesame oil and serve.
Notes
*The duration depends on method chosen. The aubergines are cooked as soon as you can squeeze them like a sponge. If the aubergines start to get mushy, they have been steamed for too long.