Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Cooking on a Budget: Cook with wisdom by recreating Ken Hom’s country-style aubergine

Ken’s country-style aubergine. Image: Lee Kum Kee.
Ken’s country-style aubergine. Image: Lee Kum Kee.

Chinese wisdom holds the belief that our bodies should always be in balance and harmony.

This can be done by eating nourishing foods that are warming, cooling or neutral, depending on what our body may need at that time.

Essentially, this Chinese wisdom simply encourages us to be more present and in tune with our body, nourishing it with exactly what it needs so that we may live happy, balanced, healthy and fulfilled lives.

This recipe for country-style aubergine is one of five seasonal recipes inspired by Chinese wisdom, created by authentic Chinese sauce brand Lee Kum Kee and celebrity chef Ken Hom, CBE.

It is quite delicious because of its use of spices and seasoning – hot, spicy and sweet all at the same time. It sounds – and tastes – very Sichuan and indeed it is.

You can find it served in countless homes in the countryside throughout China. Pork mince is used in this comfort dish which makes it so economical. It is easy to make and reheats well, too.


Ken’s country-style aubergine

(Serves 4)

Ken’s country-style aubergine. Image: Lee Kum Kee.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium aubergines
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 200g pork mince
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Sweet Soy Sauce
  • 2 tsp white sugar
  • 2 tsp Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil
  • 120ml water
  • Spring onion, trimmed and finely sliced

Method

  1. Trim and cut the aubergine into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes.
  2. Place in a colander and leave them to drain for 20 minutes.
  3. Rinse them under cold running water and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
  4. Pour the oil into a wok or large frying pan and carefully heat.
  5. When it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the aubergine and stir fry for 4 minutes or until it is golden on all sides.
  6. Use a slotted spoon to lift the aubergine on to a plate.
  7. Add the pork to the hot wok and stir-fry for three minutes. Then add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry the mixture for two minutes.
  8. Add the soy sauce, sugar, chilli oil and water.
  9. Bring the mixture to the boil and return the aubergines to the wok.
  10. Continue to cook over high heat until the aubergine is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
  11. Sprinkle with spring onions, then serve at once or let cool and serve at room temperature.