Eggplant Szechuan style

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 750 g eggplant(s)
• 10 dried mu-err mushrooms
• Water, lukewarm for soaking
• 5 garlic cloves
• 4 spring onions
• 1 piece(s) ginger, thumb-sized
• ½ tsp pepper (Szechuan pepper)
• 1 tbsp chili paste
• 1 tbsp sherry wine, dry
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt
• 300 ml oil for frying
• some oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Soak the moo-err mushrooms in plenty of lukewarm water and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Wash the eggplants and cut into French fry-sized pieces. Heat plenty of frying oil to 190°C (use a skewer to check if it’s cooked through). Fry the eggplant pieces in the oil for about 2-3 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper. Peel and crush the garlic. Peel and slice the ginger. Wash the spring onions and cut into 3-5 cm long pieces. Separate the white and green parts. Make a spice paste with sherry, salt, sugar, soy sauce, and the green parts of the spring onions. Drain the moo-err mushrooms and chop into 3-4 cm pieces. Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to a pan or wok and heat. Add the Szechuan peppercorns to the pan and roast for about 1 minute – it should develop a distinct aroma. Then, scoop out the peppercorn pieces with a ladle and reserve. Add the crushed garlic cloves to the hot oil. Fry briefly, then add the ginger pieces and the white parts of the spring onion. Stir briefly and reduce the heat to low. Stir in the chili paste. Now add the eggplant strips and the moo err mushrooms. Simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and add to the simmering dish. Bring to a boil briefly over high heat, stir in the roasted Szechuan peppercorn pieces, and serve with rice.