Stir-fry Eggplant Sichuan Style

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized Asian eggplant (quartered and cut into 1 inch lengths)
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorn
• 1 red chili-pepper (finely chopped) - deseed to reduce hotness
• a thumb of young ginger (finely chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• a small stalk of coriander (coarsely chopped)
• 4 tbsp of cooking oil

How to:

• rub the eggplant with 2 tsp of salt and leave for at least 30 mins - to remove the moisture at such it won't absorb too much oil
• pan-fry the remaining salt and peppercorn without oil until the salt turn grayish
• using mortar and pester grind the salt and peppercorn into powder
• using kitchen towels, dry your eggplant - to avoid oil mess while frying later
• heat your oil in a non-stick frying pan (~1 min). Add in the eggplant. Stir-fry till turned slightly yellowish. Remove and set aside
• add in chili-pepper, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry till fragrant
• add in the salt-peppercorn powder
• add in coriander
• add back the eggplant and stir well
• serve with jasmine rice for 2