Spicy Aubergine with Mince

In Hong Kong, wet markets, supermarkets, and convenience stores are everywhere – you step outside and there’s usually one within a five-minute walk. But living abroad, it’s not always that easy to get hold of authentic Asian ingredients. Sometimes you have to improvise…or simplify the recipe using whatever you can find in Western supermarkets. That doesn’t mean you can’t recreate the taste and comfort of home cooking.

Here, I’m going to share some easy recipes made with ingredients you can pick up from any supermarket.

In this post, I’m sharing my recipe for Spicy Aubergine with Mince. In Cantonese, we call it 魚香茄子. This is my simple take on the traditional version—quick, fuss-free, and perfect for busy days. You can even make it fully vegetarian by using plant-based mince, and I’ve got a recommendation for one that tastes just like the real meat! (details in the recipe below)

Ingredients Serves 2-3 people

1-2 Aubergine – depends on how big they are

200g Mince or 250g Plant-Based Mince (see below)

2-3 pieces Anchovies – this is what I use to add a salty kick – it's got a bit of fishy note that makes it more interesting than using plain salt

1-2 Chilli – for that extra heat :P

2-3 cloves of Garlic

1 Spring Onion – chopped, for final garnish for a better presentation :D

1-2 Tsps Chilli Oil – adjust depending on your spice tolerance

1 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine – for that extra fragrance if you have it

Marinade for the Mince

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Pepper

1 3/4 Tsps Brown Sugar

1 1/2 Tsps Dark Soy Sauce

2 Tsps Fish Sauce

1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil

1 Tsp Chinese Rice Wine or Shaoxing Wine

Steps

1. Marinate the mince

2. Slice the Aubergine into thin slices – around 3 inches long

3. Finely chop the garlic and roughly chop for the chilli

4. Heat the wok or pan with a bit of oil, add in HALF of the garlic and chilli, turn down to medium heat and fry them until the fragrance comes out

5. Turn up to medium-high heat, add in the aubergine and stir fry until 85% done

6. Turn down to medium heat, make a hole in the centre, add a bit more oil and throw in the remaining garlic and chilli and also add the anchovies. Fry for 10-20 seconds and then add the mince (or plant-based mince), stir-fry the whole thing

7. When everything is 95% cooked, add in the chilli oil

8. Turn up to high heat, add the Shaoxing Wine and quickly stir it for 10-15 seconds (if you don't have Shaoxing Wine, you can skip this step)

9. Turn off the heat, garnish with some spring onion

10. Served with rice (Obviously!)

11. Happy Belly! Enjoy! :D

About the plant-based mince

We've found an excellent plant-based mince called THIS isn't beef mince. The taste and texture are surprisingly close to real meat. I've even used it to make steamed minced pork (蒸肉餅), and it worked really well. The only challenge is that, without the natural fat and protein of real meat, it doesn’t stick together as easily, so shaping it into a “cake” can be tricky – but I’ve found a way that works. I might share that recipe sometime soon.

The brand THIS also makes a range of other meat alternatives, and we've tried a few. Honestly, they taste just as good as the real thing.

We're not vegetarian or vegan, but we do love food – trying all sort of ingredients and experimenting with different cooking styles. We hope our recipes here can be enjoyed by anyone, whatever their dietary preferences.

Let me know if you give the recipe a try and what you think of it! Cheers :)