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Saliva Aubergine (Mouth-Watering Aubergine)

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5 from 1 review

If you love big, bold, mouth-watering flavours, you’ll love this vegan spin on the Sichuan classic, Ko Shui Ji (口水鸡). This steamed aubergine dish swaps the traditional poached chicken for tender, succulent aubergine, covered with an umami-packed Sichuan chilli oil sauce. Served cold over hot rice, this steamed aubergine dish is perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner or an impressive dish for guests. It’s both delicious and simple to make, bringing the vibrant tastes of Sichuan cuisine to your kitchen with minimal effort.

Note: this recipe is adapted from one that was taught to me by the talented Verna Gao (@vernahungrybanana).

  • Author: zenak
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ – 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toast and grind (see Notes)
  • 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) (see Notes for substitutes)
  • 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (or rice vinegar)
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp msg (use salt if you don’t have any, but I recommend always having some!)
  • ½ – 1 red chilli, finely chopped (to taste)
  • 60ml vegetable stock or water
  • 2 aubergines, cut into small batons
  • 1 spring onion, very thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Toast the sichuan peppercorns in a dry small frying pan set over a medium-high heat, tossing often, until slightly darkened and fragrant, around 2 minutes.
  2. Transfer to a mortar and pound with a pestle until finely ground, then add the gochugaru, Chinese five spice and garlic.
  3. Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan set over a high heat until shimmering, then carefully pour the hot oil into the mortar and stir to combine.
  4. Add the light soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, msg and red chilli, then stir well to combine. Set aside for later.
  5. Toss the aubergines with salt and transfer to a large steamer basket (it’s ok if they overlap, but if your steamer basket is on a smaller side, I recommend doing this in batches). Steam the aubergines for 10 to 12 minutes, or until soft.
  6. Transfer the aubergines to a plate and pour the chilli oil sauce over the top. Finish with the spring onion then serve, preferably alongside some hot rice. The aubergines can be served hot but they’re best served cold (or at room temperature), which makes them the perfect make-ahead dish.

Notes

  1. Sichuan peppercorns aren’t spicy per se, but they do cause a numbing sensation, which not everyone loves. If you’re a numbing-heat lover, use the full amount. If you’re unsure, use the smaller amount.
  2. You can substitute the gochugaru for half the amount of chilli flakes (the latter is spicier than the former).

Find it online: https://zenaskitchen.com/saliva-aubergine-steamed-aubergine-with-sichuan-chilli-oil/

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