The omnom thing
I can’t really describe was this IS, but it was really, really good. I tried to replicate one of my favourite dishes at Ginkgo on Hereford St (the aubergine and potato thing), and while I failed miserably, this worked out to satiate my cravings for something BBQ-y, flavoursome and not too complicated. With potatoes, onions, green peppers, eggplant and tofu (if you used chicken I guess I would envy you), this is easily reheatable the next day (and I would argue it’s nicer, like curry the next day) and is a complete meal in itself. The one thing you will need that not everyone has is a hefty-sized frypan or wok, unless you’re cooking for two (but the leftovers are soooo good).
serves 4
4 large potatoes or equivalent, cut into wedges
1 medium sized eggplant, cut into “fries” about 1cm thick
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 large onion, cut into wedges
6-8 garlic cloves, chopped finely
100g super firm tofu*, sliced thinly, or 100g cooked chicken
about 2 Tbs char sui sauce* (Lee Kum Kee do the best)
1/4c light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1/4c water
freshly ground black pepper
50g butter or 1/2c oil or a mixture of both (hey, fat makes this dish)
*Available in vacuum packed bags at Chinese supermarkets. Char sui sauce is at most Asian supermarkets.
Add potatoes to a medium large saucepan, just cover with water, turn to high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium high and let boil for 5 minutes, covered. Drain and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the sauces, water, and pepper until you get a dark, runny sauce that still looks syrupy. Set aside.
Heat half the oil on medium heat in a large deepish frypan (more than 10inches) or wok and add the onions. Let onions cook until golden on the undersides. Add potatoes and eggplant, and the rest of the oil. Leave to cook until the underside of some of the aubergine is golden in bits. Drizzle all the sauce over the veges, and cook until the aubergine goes tender and squishy, stirring occasionally. Serve while hot.
To reheat in the pan, just add a teeny bit of oil and heat it up, then add leftovers to the pan, cover, and cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Uncover, stir, cover, and heat for another 2 minutes. Continue until heated all the way through (shouldn’t be too long really).
PS. I do realise this is not in the slightest bit festive, being drafted about three weeks ago… :$ However, this is a pretty good fix for leftover boiled potatoes or a quick one bowl dinner at the end of a long day of (ahem) cooking. Or shopping. Hint: avoid malls in your car like the plague, unless you’re in during work hours.
Two Spoons 