Crispy Aubergine Nibbles with Coconut, Yellowbean, Chilli and Lemon Zest

Aubergine will go soggy on you. That's just what it does. The skin is bitter and the flesh holds water and if you don't approach it correctly you end up with something limp and unpleasant. The way around it is to peel it, wet it in a batter, press a dry mix onto that, and fry it so the outside crisps up while the inside stays soft. That contrast is the whole point. Crispy shell, yielding centre, and all the seasoning sitting on the outside where you can actually taste it.

This dish has been on the Farang vegan and vegetarian tasting menus for years as an opening snack. It developed a long time ago and stuck around because it works and because it's easy to produce quickly. That combination is rarer than you'd think in a professional kitchen.

Yellowbean paste is the key ingredient and it's worth understanding what it is. Fermented soya bean paste - salty, deeply savoury, proper umami. I use Healthy Boy brand because the beans are blended into a paste rather than left whole, which makes it much easier to work with as a coating. If you buy a jarred version with whole beans, blitz it a bit before using. It's available in any decent Asian supermarket or online and once you have a jar in the fridge you'll find uses for it constantly.

The lemon zest at the end is not a Thai thing. Our local veg supplier, Seasons and Blossoms down the road, sells excellent organic lemons and we started using them because they were there and because the dish needed something fresh and zingy to cut through the salty, spicy coating. It worked. That's the only reason it's in there.

Crispy Aubergine Nibbles with Coconut, Yellowbean, Chilli and Lemon Zest

Serves: 4 as a snack Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 15 minutes Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

For the aubergine

• 1 large aubergine, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

• 100g yellowbean paste (Healthy Boy brand recommended - blitz if whole beans)

• 200ml coconut cream

• 100g cornflour

• Salt and ground white pepper

• Vegetable oil for frying

To finish

• Chilli powder, to taste

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Crispy shallots

• A handful of curry leaves, deep fried until crispy and salted

To serve

• Payst burnt chilli sauce

Method

1. Mix the yellowbean paste and coconut cream together in a bowl until combined. This is your wet coating.

2. Season the cornflour generously with salt and white pepper in a shallow dish. This is your dry coating.

3. Working in batches, dip the peeled aubergine pieces into the yellowbean and coconut mixture, then press into the seasoned cornflour until well coated. Set aside on a tray.

4. Fill a wok halfway with vegetable oil and heat to 180°C. Fry the aubergine in batches until golden and crispy, around 3-4 minutes per batch. Don't overcrowd the wok. Drain on a parchment-lined tray.

5. In the same oil, fry the curry leaves for a few seconds until crispy. Remove immediately and drain.

6. Arrange the aubergine on a serving plate. Season with chilli powder and a little salt, scatter over the crispy shallots and curry leaves, then finish with fresh lemon zest. Serve straight away with burnt chilli sauce alongside.

Chef's notes

Don't skip peeling the aubergine - the skin is bitter and won't crisp up properly. The flesh underneath is what you want.

These are best eaten immediately. The coating will soften as they sit, which is fine, but the first few minutes out of the oil are the best.

The burnt chilli dipping sauce is available for next day delivery at payst.co.uk. More recipes at faranglondon.co.uk.