Stir-Fried Fragrant Brinjal with Tea Leaves & Tea Eggs

Original Recipes by Amy Beh

Stir-Fried Fragrant Brinjal with Tea Leaves

200g brinjals

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp dried prawns, soaked and coarsely chopped

Stir-Fried Fragrant Brinjal with Tea Leaves

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 red chilli, seeded and diced

5g Long Jing tea leaves

100ml boiling hot water

Seasoning

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

1 tsp chicken stock granules

Pinch of pepper

Pinch of sugar

Steep tea leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain the tea and deep-fry the tea leaves until crispy. Retain the tea stock for use later.

Cut brinjals into 5cm lengths. Soak in salted water for 1-2 minutes. Drain and pat dry with several pieces of paper kitchen towel. Sprinkle a little cornflour over and deep-fry in hot oil for a minute.

Heat sesame oil in a wok and sauté garlic and dried prawns until fragrant. Add seasoning and brinjals and cook until the gravy is thick. Put in chilli and the pre-fried crispy tea leaves. Dish out and serve.

Tea Eggs

12 hard-boiled eggs, with shells intact

15g Jasmine tea leaves

5 slices tong kwai

12 dried Chinese red dates

1.5 litres water

Seasoning

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

3 tbsp light soy sauce

25g rock sugar

6 star anise

3g cinnamon stick

1 tbsp chicken stock granules

Tap the hard-boiled eggs until the shells are slightly cracked. Put aside.

Bring red dates, tong kwai, tea leaves and water to the boil in a pot. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Pour the contents into a small crockpot. Add seasoning and cook on medium heat for 2 hours. Halfway through,add the cracked eggs and continue to cook until the flavour of the tea stock is absorbed by the eggs.

Remove and shell the eggs.

Garlic fried rice

Ingredients
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups steamed rice
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soy bean sauce
vegetable oil
1 tsp spring onions, chopped
1 pinch black pepper
1 tsp unsalted butter

Method
1. Fry chopped garlic in a little butter until crispy. Add vegetable oil, steamed rice and stir to mix well.

2. Season with black and white pepper, salt and soy bean sauce. To serve, sprinkle chopped spring onions on top.

Fried rice with sausages and Japanese eggplant relish

Ingredients
Rice:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
6 sausages, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
3 cups cold cooked rice
1 tbsp chicken granules
8 French beans, sliced
1 small carrot, cut into 4cm matchsticks
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp vinegar
salt and black pepper to taste
1 chilli seeded, julienned

Relish:
5 tbsp peanut oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 red chillies, seeded and pounded finely
2 medium Japanese eggplants, cut into 4cm matchsticks
¼ cup vinegar
salt to taste
1 tbsp sugar
sliced spring onions for garnishing

Method
Rice:

1. Heat butter and oil in a non-stick pan and fry sausages for about two minutes.

2. Remove from the pan and keep aside.

3. Fry garlic in the same pan for about one minute and add rice, chicken granules, French beans, carrots, soy sauce, vinegar and give it a good stir.

4. Add sausages and salt and pepper.

Relish:

1. Heat three tbsp of the oil in a deep saucepan and fry garlic until brown. Drain and keep aside.

2. In the same pan, add the remaining oil and fry chillies for two to three minutes.

3. Add eggplant and vinegar and cook until the eggplant is soft.

4. Add fried garlic, salt, sugar and garnish with sliced spring onions.

5. Garnish fried rice with chillies and serve with eggplant relish.

Fried rice

Ingredients
Two rice-cup measures of rice, cooked in a rice cooker
chopped garlic
sliced onions
chillies (optional)
shredded cooked chicken, or cut tinned sausages
2 eggs, beaten
sliced carrots
shredded cabbage
towgay/cut towfoo

Method
1. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a kuali or pot. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and onions.

2. Then add the chicken, carrots and cabbage. Fry for a few minutes and add the chill, towgay/towfoo and eggs.

3. Stir-fry it and add the rice when the eggs are almost cooked. Mix well and add salt, pepper to taste and soya sauce if desired.