Ingredients
Preparation time: 20 minutes Total cooking time: 35 minutes Serves 4
500 g (I lb) medium eggplant (aubergine) 1/3 cup (80 ml) oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cm (1½inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup (80 ml) chicken stock
2 teaspoons canned black beans, rinsed well, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
4 spring onions, sliced into long diagonal strips
Method
1 Slice the eggplant into long slices and lightly brush each side with oil.
2 Heat a frying pan over moderately low heat: add the eggplant, 4 to 5 slices at a time, and cool until golden on both sides; remove from the pan. Do not hurry this process as cooking the eggplant slowly allows the natural sugars to caramelise and produces a wonderful flavour. If the eggplant begins to burn, reduce the heat and sprinkle it with a little water.
3 Increase the heat to moderately high and add any remaining oil, the garlic, ginger, onion and about 1 tablespoon of the chicken stock; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add the remaining stock, black beans, oyster sauce, soy sauce and fish sauce. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Return the eggplant to the pan and simmer for 2 minutes or until it is heated
Add sultanas to the pan and cook tor 3 minutes, until the sultanas are plump. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3 wash the rice under cold water and drain for 15 minutes. Place the rice in a large pan and add the cardamom, cinnamon, rose water and tablespoons of the ghee. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until the rice is translucent. Add the salt and chicken stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4 Soak the saffron in the hot milk for 5 minutes. pour over the cooked rice and mix thoroughly to combine.
5 Preheat the oven to hot 220°C (425°F/Gas 7). Laver a large lightly greased casserole dish with half the rice, the eggplant, the egg, half the fried onions. almonds and sultanas, and the other half of the rice to finish. Dot with the remaining ghee. over and bake in the oven for 50 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender. Garnish with the remaining fried onions, the almonds
and sultanas.