Recipe Ingredient
- 200g brinjals
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried prawns, soaked and coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 red chilli, seeded and diced
- 5g Long Jing tea leaves
- 100ml boiling hot water
- Seasoning
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp chicken stock granules
- Pinch of pepper
- Pinch of sugar
- Tea Eggs
- 12 hard-boiled eggs, with shells intact
- 15g Jasmine tea leaves
- 5 slices tong kwai
- 12 dried Chinese red dates
- 1.5 litres water
- Seasoning
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 25g rock sugar
- 6 star anise
- 3g cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp chicken stock granules
Instructions
- Steep tea leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain the tea and deep-fry the tea leaves until crispy. Retain the tea stock for use later.
- Cut brinjals into 5cm lengths. Soak in salted water for 1-2 minutes. Drain and pat dry with several pieces of paper kitchen towel. Sprinkle a little cornflour over and deep-fry in hot oil for a minute.
- Heat sesame oil in a wok and sauté garlic and dried prawns until fragrant. Add seasoning and brinjals and cook until the gravy is thick. Put in chilli and the pre-fried crispy tea leaves. Dish out and serve.
- Tap the hard-boiled eggs until the shells are slightly cracked. Put aside.
- Bring red dates, tong kwai, tea leaves and water to the boil in a pot. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Pour the contents into a small crockpot. Add seasoning and cook on medium heat for 2 hours. Halfway through,add the cracked eggs and continue to cook until the flavour of the tea stock is absorbed by the eggs.
- Remove and shell the eggs.
For Tea Eggs:
