The recipe
Make a loose batter by whisking together a large egg, 4 tbsp of cold water and 2 tbsp of flour. Salt it lightly and set aside.
Put 30g of soft brown sugar into a small saucepan with 3 tbsp of rice wine vinegar, 2 tbsp of light soy sauce, and 2 lightly heaped tbsp of chilli paste. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and put to one side.
Tip 2 tbsp of sesame seeds into a small, shallow pan and toast over a moderate heat until fragrant and walnut brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Slice 400g of aubergines in half and then into segments, about 6 per fruit. Heat about 250ml of oil in a small, deep pan, then, when it is thoroughly hot, dip the aubergine pieces in the batter one by one, and lower them carefully into the oil.
Cook for 5 minutes or until the outer batter is crisp, the inner flesh soft as marshmallow. Drain each piece briefly on kitchen paper then trickle with the hot chilli sauce and sprinkle over some of the sesame seeds, a little coriander for those who like it, and perhaps a small, ripe chilli, sliced as thin as tissue paper.
The trick
I used small aubergines, the size of a duck egg, for this. They tend to live in Middle Eastern and Asian greengrocers. Use whatever aubergines you can hold of, cutting large ones into pieces about 6cm in length. The heat of the oil is important, being hot enough to set the thin batter but not so hot it burns before the flesh is cooked. About 160C is fine. Drain on kitchen paper – it will help to keep them crisp – but eat as soon as you can.
The twist
You could prepare artichokes in the same way. Use those that come marinated in oil, wiping them first then dipping into the batter as you would the aubergines.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @NigelSlater