How to make sticky Chinese tofu and aubergine stir-fry

This dish is quick to whip up and great for vegetarians and lovers of Chinese cuisine alike

Sticky Chinese tofu and aubergine stir-fry

Serves 2

1 aubergine
15g fresh root ginger
1 spring onion
5g toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp five-spice mix
1 tbsp cornflour
130g basmati rice
2 garlic cloves
1 red chilli
120g baby corn
1 red onion
2 soy sauce sachets (16ml)
4 tbsp Hoisin sauce
​280g plain tofu
Salt
Vegetable oil

Add the basmati rice and 300ml of cold water to a pot with a lid and bring to the boil over a high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 10-15 minutes or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked. Once cooked, remove from the heat and keep covered until serving.

Meanwhile, chop the aubergine into bite-sized pieces. Cut the red onion into wedges. Chop the tofu into chunky bite-sized pieces.

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chopped aubergine with a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until browned all over and cooked through. (Tip: cover with a lid to cook the aubergine more evenly.)

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic. Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) the ginger. Cut the red chilli in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely. Trim, then slice the spring onion finely.

Add the five-spice, cornflour and a pinch of salt to a bowl. Add the chipped tofu and give everything a good mix up until fully coated. Once cooked through, transfer the aubergine to a large plate (keep the pan over a medium-high heat) and add a drizzle of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the tofu and cook for 4-6 minutes or until browned all over.

Once completely browned, transfer the tofu to the aubergine plate (keep the pan over a medium-high heat). Add a drizzle of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the whole baby corn and onion wedges to the pan and cook for 4-6 minutes or until the baby corn is cooked through.

Then transfer the baby corn and onion wedges to the aubergine plate. Reduce the heat to low, add the chopped garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, half the chopped chilli and a splash of water and cook for 1 minute. Then return the aubergine, tofu, baby corn and onion to the pan and give everything a good old mix up.

Serve the sticky Chinese tofu over the basmati rice. Garnish with the chopped spring onion, remaining chilli and toasted sesame seeds.

Recipe from gousto.co.uk