Lamb with Aubergine and Ginger (4)
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Pat the lamb dry, then put it in a bowl with the cornflour, a tablespoon of ground cumin, half the dark soy sauce, half the Shaoxing rice wine and the sugar, toss to coat and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
  2. Toss the aubergine with the remaining cumin and half a teaspoon of salt. Heat half the oil in a large wok or saute pan on a high flame, then fry the aubergine, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, until it’s beginning to brown.
  3. Add the ginger and one tablespoon of soy, and fry for three minutes more, stirring very often, until the aubergine is a dark golden brown. Remove the aubergine from the wok, wipe the pan clean, then return it to the heat. Put the cumin seeds in the hot pan and, taking care not to burn them, dry fry for around 30 seconds, until fragrant, then tip into a saucer.
  4. Return the pan to a high heat and, once it’s smoking, add the rest of the oil and swirl around. Add a third of the lamb, separating the pieces with a spoon, so they don’t clump together, then leave to sear undisturbed for two minutes.
  5. Stir-fry for another two minutes, until crisp and golden brown all over, then lift out of the wok with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan. Repeat with the rest of the lamb in two more batches, then drain and discard half of the fat.
  6. Return all the meat to the wok and, over a high heat, quickly toss with the aubergines, the remaining soy and rice wine, the chillies, spring onions, coriander and toasted cumin seeds, for only a few seconds, to warm through. Transfer to a platter, drizzle over the vinegar and serve straight away.