Fish-fragrant aubergine with minced pork on rice noodles
Aubergine and minced pork cooked in a fish-fragrant sauce of chilli bean paste, ginger, garlic and vinegar — savoury, gently tangy and a little spicy over rice noodles.
- 22 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Blood-stasis types have sluggish circulation, with a dull complexion, painful periods and stabbing aches, and as Chushu turns from heat to coolness, keeping the blood moving matters. Aubergine disperses blood and reduces swelling, chilli bean paste, ginger and garlic warm and move the blood, and black vinegar disperses stasis. Steaming the aubergine first means it needs little oil.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 12 min- 1Cut the aubergines into batons and steam over a high heat for 8 minutes until soft, then drain. Mix the chilli bean paste, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water into the sauce.
- 2Cook the rice noodles in boiling water for 2–3 minutes until soft, drain and divide between two bowls.
- 3Heat the oil and fry the ginger, garlic and spring onion whites until fragrant. Stir-fry the pork until it changes colour, then add the aubergine and sauce and cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes until thickened.
- 4Spoon over the noodles, scatter with the spring onion greens and toss before eating.
Cautions
- Cut back on the vinegar and chilli during heavy periods or pregnancy; chilli bean paste is salty, so ½ tbsp is enough if you have high blood pressure.
Chef's tips
- Steaming the aubergine before stir-frying means you don't need to deep-fry it; choose long, glossy aubergines that spring back when pressed.
The TCM view
Aubergine is sweet and cool, clearing heat, moving blood and reducing swelling — the Bencao Gangmu says it 'disperses blood, stops pain, reduces swelling and eases the intestines'. Vinegar is sour, bitter and warm, dispersing stasis and whetting the appetite; ginger and garlic are pungent and warm, moving qi and helping the blood flow; pork is sweet and neutral, nourishing blood so the dish isn't too drying.
