Sichuan-style aubergine and pork mince on rice
Steaming the aubergine first means it needs hardly any oil yet soaks up the sauce — great over rice and fine for a packed lunch.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Grain Rain is humid and warming up. A Balanced constitution has a sound digestion and needs no special restrictions; seasonal aubergine with pork mince and a little chilli bean paste perks up the appetite, and steaming before stir-frying keeps it light for a working lunch.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min- 1Cut the aubergines into thick batons, spread them on a plate and steam over high heat for 8 minutes until soft, so they won't drink up oil in the wok.
- 2Mix the pork with a splash of the soy sauce, then stir the rest with the sugar, vinegar and 3 tbsp water to make the sauce.
- 3Heat the oil in a wok, fry the garlic, ginger and chilli bean paste until fragrant, then add the pork and stir-fry until it changes colour.
- 4Gently toss in the aubergine and sauce and cook for 2 minutes, thicken with the cornflour slurry, scatter over the spring onion and spoon over the rice.
Cautions
- Go easy on aubergine if your digestion runs cold or you get loose stools. Chilli bean paste is salty, so no extra salt is needed.
Chef's tips
- Soak the cut aubergine in lightly salted water for 5 minutes before steaming to stop it browning and keep it creamy.
The TCM view
Aubergine is sweet and cool; it clears heat, moves blood and reduces swelling. Pork is sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin and building strength. Garlic and ginger are pungent and warm, warming the stomach and offsetting the aubergine's coolness, while a little chilli bean paste stirs the appetite. Balanced between warm and cool — an everyday dish for a Balanced constitution.
