Andi Oliver’s Orange, Ginger & Chilli Aubergine

We wanted to come up with a plant-based dish to rival chicken wings; these aubergine pieces are crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and drenched in a rich & spicy gravy. Serve as a standalone dish with rice or roti or as a side as part of a family feast - yum!

Serves 4-6 

What you’ll need:

For the green seasoning: 

6/7 garlic cloves, peeled

1 large spring onion or two small ones, roughly chopped 

Small handful flat leaf parsley 

Small handful fresh coriander 

80ml cold pressed rapeseed oil 

For the sauce:

15/20g thumb fresh ginger, finely grated

1-2 whole star anise 

2 green cardamom pods 

400g chopped tomatoes 

100ml vegetable stock 

50ml coconut or sherry vinegar

1 bird’s eye chilli or chilli of your choice, finely chopped 

2 oranges, zest and juice

1 tbsp Marmite

1 tbsp date syrup or any dark sugar syrup alternative 

For the coating: 

200g potato starch

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp ground turmeric 

Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste.

3 Large aubergines cut into 8-10 cubes

Neutral oil such as rape seed or canola for deep frying

What to do:

Blitz all of the green seasoning ingredients together in a food processor or blender to create a seasoning paste for your base.

Then sautee the green seasoning & grated ginger in a large pan, once sizzling add the star anise, chilli, green cardamom, chopped tomatoes, vinegar, orange zest & juice and stock and cook on a medium heat stirring occasionally until reduced by a third.

Whilst the sauce is reducing, stir together the coating ingredients in a bowl, then toss the aubergine pieces in the mixture until they are evenly coated all over.

Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or heavy-based saucepan to 180°C (350°F). To test whether the oil is hot enough, drop in a cube of white bread, if it bubbles straight away and goes golden, then the oil is ready for frying.

Fry the aubergine pieces in batches until they are crispy. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain any excess oil. Continue until they are all cooked.

Transfer the crispy aubergine pieces to a bowl or platter and pour over the sauce, finish with a sprinkling of chopped coriander, spring onions & extra grated orange zest and serve.