Name: Lau’s Family Kitchen’s eggplant stuffed with taro
Yield: 20
Ingredients: Eggplant; 300 gm frozen taro, thawed (see note); 50 gm (1/3 cup) potato flour (see note); 10 gm piece preserved red bean curd (see note); 20 gm unsalted butter; 2 eggplants; To deep-fry: corn oil; For dusting: potato flour; Sauce; 250 ml vegetable stock (1 cup); ½ tsp white sugar; 2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce; 1 tsp potato flour; Batter; 150 gm self-raising flour (1 cup); 2 tbsp potato flour; 1 tbsp corn oil

Ingredients

Eggplant

300 gm frozen taro, thawed (see note)

50 gm (1/3 cup) potato flour (see note)

10 gm piece preserved red bean curd (see note)

20 gm unsalted butter

2 eggplants

To deep-fry: corn oil

For dusting: potato flour

Sauce

250 ml vegetable stock (1 cup)

½ tsp white sugar

2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce

1 tsp potato flour

Batter

150 gm self-raising flour (1 cup)

2 tbsp potato flour

1 tbsp corn oil

Method

Main

1.Steam taro for 40 minutes or until tender, cool slightly then mash with potato flour, bean curd and butter and season to taste with sea salt.

2.Halve eggplant lengthways, then cut each half crossways into 2.5cm-thick slices. Starting from the skin-side, cut through each slice horizontally, leaving 1cm attached at the bottom, then open out and press a little taro into each.

3.For sauce, combine stock, sugar and oyster sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Combine potato flour and 2 tbsp water, add to sauce and stir until thickened. Cool to room temperature.

4.For batter, whisk ingredients with 1½ cups water and stand for 10 minutes.

5.Heat corn oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 180C, dust stuffed eggplant in potato flour, then into batter, shaking to remove excess and deep-fry for 5 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately with sauce passed separately.

Note Frozen taro and preserved red bean curd are available from Asian supermarkets. Potato flour is available from health food stores and Asian supermarkets.
Notes

The Gourmet Traveller Team

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Styling by Rodney Dunn