Aubergine is one of my favourite vegetables to cook, especially in Chinese dishes, I think I first came across fish flavoured aubergine (yu xiang qiezi) when I lived in Kunming, Yunnan province after uni and this dish has a similar profile, removing the minced pork but keeping the garlic, ginger and chilli. I decided to add tofu to this dish to make it into a more substantial main course, it goes well with just some simple plain rice.

This dish is packed with cumin and slightly smoky spicy heat, reminiscent of commonly used flavours in Xinjiang province in China.