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Monday, April 9, 2012

Fragrant Fried Eggplant and Long beans - Katrika (Tamil) Week # 1



Katrika is the name in Tamil for this purple fruit vegetable. Some call it eggplant, some call it brinjal, some prefer its name to be aubergine. Whatever you may call it, it's this purple thingy.

There's a tai-chow (Chinese Hot Stir Fry Shop) in Pasir Putih, Ipoh that is very popular, Peng Tau 兵头. It's affordable, reasonable, quick and delicious! Something like Little Paris of SS2/PJ.

One of their signature dishes is this Eggplant Long Beans. Oh yes, the name is just Ai Gua Dau Gok (埃瓜豆角). Simple and nice.


Out of 10 times that my brother dines there, 8 times, this dish will be ordered. Everybody loves this a lot but it's rather high in sodium. Ahh.... but then, it's delicious.

This dish requires some technique (it's stir fying!) and a hot wok in order to achieve a wonderful fragrant dish full of Wok Hei (wok smell). Get the cooker hood running and let's cook!



Fragrant Fried Eggplant and Long beans
Recipe source: Wendyywy
Inspired from : Peng Tau Restaurant, Pasir Pinji Ipoh

200gm eggplant
150gm long beans
2 Tbsp chopped sweet preserved radish (甜菜圃/菜哺)
1 Tbsp chopped dried shrimp
1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
3 bird’s eye chilli or as many as you prefer, chopped
¼ tsp salt
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
Dash of pepper

1. Deep fry long beans for 10-15 seconds or until it looks slightly blistered. Drain well.
2. Deep fry egg plant for 30-40 seconds until lightly golden. Drain well.
3. Pour oil away (to reserve or discard) and with remaining oil in wok (about 1 Tbsp), on medium low heat, fry garlic until fragrant (slightly golden), add in dried shrimps and chilli.
4. Saute until fragrant and almost golden. Put in preserved sweet radish. Cook until garlic looks nicely golden. Put in salt and pepper.
5. Turn heat to high and put in fried vegetables. Toss around until everything is dry and fragrant.
6. Put in light soy sauce and toss well to combine. Dish up.

27 comments:

  1. looks delicious, thanks for the recipe.

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  2. I like eggplant and long beans so this will be in my to cook list. They look so delicious!

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  3. Eggplant and long beans are my favourite. Eating out at restaurant of course it is delicious but if we fry it at home more healthier. Yours looks really really delicious....I go for another second bowl of rice... Thanks for sharing this dish.

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  4. Wah this is good Wendy. I like eggplant too.

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  5. Boriville,
    U're welcomed ;)


    Gert,
    I hope you like this


    Mel,
    The oil we use at home is cleaner lor :)


    Angeline,
    good to know another eggplant lover ;B

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  6. I know I will love this aubergine with long beans...chopped radish and garlic and dried shrimp...'kan chek yat lau ' simple yet delicious. You can tai chow in the house now :)

    Btw, I love that Old Rugged Cross song :)

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  7. I just cooked brinjal last week. I love them too. Now I have another way to cook them.

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  8. I can eat 2 bowls of rice with this dish! Simple home cooking is always delicious

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  9. add in petai and kacang botol, lagi sedap !

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  10. Lovely! The name of the dai chow sounds like feng tau hahahahah

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  11. Elin,
    You can just go to Pasir Pinji to have ur fix of this!


    Poh Lin,
    You will have more ways to cook... I'm only publshing 3 this time, with another 2 in queue for next round :)



    Swee San,
    Smoky and nice hoh!



    Mary Chey,
    Ohhh this is addictive, surely 2 bowls!



    Sonia,
    Oh that will be another version with sambal.
    U mean the four heavenly kings dish, right?



    leo,
    Hahaha, it's actually "soldier's head"

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  12. Looks delicious! My kids love this with added petai and four-angle bean, similar to this dish! Yum!

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  13. i'v eaten this beofre, cannot remember where but not in pasir pinji cos i've never been to that peng tau. when i see the word ' tamil'I thought you're doing indian dishes this week!

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  14. Wendy, what if I change the longbean to french beans ( buncis )? is it suitable too?

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  15. kitchen flavours,
    Hmm... maybe it's popular in KL.
    Next time must try


    lena
    Hahaha.. i scared ppl dunno what's katrika ma.
    Ingga (where) sapade(eat) besides Pengtau? tell tell!


    Queenie,
    Buncis has a different smell when deep fried. It may not bring out the same flavour.

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  16. I too love this dish a lot....my sons too so we do order this quite a lot when we eat out.

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  17. Now I am hungry I want some of those

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  18. The combination of green and purple is fantastic and appetizing. Thanks for this wok hei recipe, would love to show some skill in my kitchen this coming weekend.

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  19. tamil also know. i forgot i ingga sapade that dish..LOL!

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  20. Hi Wendy, I have an award for you which I received from another blogger friend. When you have time, can you please go to pick it up? It's listed my Easter Cookings Part I posting. Cheers!

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  21. Just give me this dish and two bowl of rice and that's all I need.

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  22. This is my fave dish ever! I order this everytime I go for "tai chow" dinner :)

    Thanks for the simple recipe :)

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  23. Oh, Wendy! I love this dish! Eggplants are top of my list when it comes to vegetables! Always collecting delicious eggplant recipes to entertain myself! :D

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  24. Hi Wendy
    Can I get your advise on the preserved radish (choy poh).
    I'm confused with the many types sold & unsure which to buy for this recipe.
    1) Minced sweet preserved radish
    2) Minced salty preserved radish
    3) Preserved radish strips

    Can you also advise me which type to use for preserved radish omelette. Thanks.
    Debby

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  25. Debby,
    FYI, the strips comes in sweet and salty versions too.

    Just get any sweet ones, if they come minced, then great. If they come in strips, then you just have to chop it up. I chopped mine as mine was sweet strips.

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  26. It looks nice and tempting. i am going to give it try. thx for the recipe.

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