Beatrice Lin shows how to make a vegetarian version of three cup chicken using aubergines, followed by Giigi Tsai demonstrating the traditional version.
They bought a 4ha lifestyle property in Glenleith and she started a vegetable garden, did a permaculture course and became a "crazy gardener", she said.
About four years ago the Lins started their own restaurant, Formosa Delight, in Albany St, Dunedin, determined to cook healthy, Taiwanese-inspired food with fresh vegetables from their own garden.
Giigi Tsai, a chef, came from Taiwan nearly a year ago to work for the Lins in their restaurant.
Three-cup chicken (sanbeiji) was a favourite dish when Beatrice was a child. Her mother used to make it with a whole chicken, a cup of sesame oil, a cup of rice wine and a cup of soy sauce, which is why it's called three-cup.
Taiwan also has a strong tradition of vegetarian and vegan recipes so they also enjoy the flavours in three-cup tofu and, in this case, three-cup aubergine. This version is both gluten-free and vegan.
Three-cup aubergine
Serves4
Ingredients
300g aubergine, cut into large dice (2.5cm-3cm)
100g mushrooms
10 cloves garlic, peeled
2-3 spring onions, cut into 2cm segments
10 thin slices ginger
1 cup fresh basil or basil-mint leaves
1-2 fresh or frozen chillies (or to taste)
Seasoning:
¼ cup sesame oil
¼ cup gluten-free, naturally brewed soy sauce
1/8 cup rice (cooking) wine
1/8 cup water
1 Tbsp raw sugar
Method
Cut the aubergine into large dice, wash and cut the mushrooms into quarters or sixths, depending on size, peel the garlic and leave it whole, slice the spring onions, cut the ginger and chillies diagonally into thin slices.
Heat about 2Tbsp of the sesame oil in a wok. On medium heat, saute the ginger slices for about two minutes, turning them over, until they start to become crispy and fragrant.
Add the whole garlic cloves, chillies, and spring onions. Stir and toss, then turn the heat down and add the aubergine and mushrooms. Stir, then add the rest of the sesame oil, the soy sauce, the wine, water, and sugar. Cover with a lid and simmer for 6 minutes until almost dry, stirring a couple of times.
Add the basil leaves, cover and count 10 seconds, then turn off the heat, stir, and serve with rice and a steamed vegetable.
Garnish with a few fresh basil tips.
Organic multigrain rice
Ingredients
1 cup buckwheat
1 cup brown rice or short-grain rice
¼ cup millet
¼ cup quinoa
¼ cup coix seed (Chinese pearl barley)
1/8 cup amaranth seeds
1 cup precooked soybeans and chickpeas
3½ cups water
Method
Wash buckwheat and rice and drain. Add water and other grains then soak overnight in the fridge.
Before cooking, add the precooked soybeans and chickpeas. Cook in rice cooker or as you would normally cook rice.
Sprinkle rice with seed mix:1 cup each white and black sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and almonds. These can be lightly toasted to bring out the flavours.
Blanched vegetable
Beatrice uses celtuce, a lettuce with a thick, juicy, edible stalk which she grows in her garden. It's a favourite with Taiwanese people, but you could use broccoli stalks or other vegetables.
Slice the vegetable diagonally into chunks.
Crush and chop three cloves garlic.
Put a little water (about half a cup) in the wok and bring to the boil, add the garlic, cook for a few moments, then add the vegetable, cover and steam gently for a couple of minutes until cooked but still crunchy.
Add a little salt to taste and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
• Beatrice Lin has a blog at tw.myblog.yahoo.com/beahua_huang
Thanks to Afife Harris and Gardens New World.
