Spicy Turmeric Eggplant - Dinner with A View

How do you eat your dinner every day?

I tried my very best to produce delicious looking food pictures in beautiful settings (tried my very best =/= successful), but do I really eat my dinners on a beautifully set table, with forks, knives, fine china, vintage napkins and crystal wine glasses? When I said "Dinner with A View" did I mean something like this?

Nononononono....it's more like:
- eating off the floor
- in front of TV/laptop
- dishes on a tiny side table
- rice bowls on hand
- eating with my bare hands
- feet on sofa/chair

In events where:
- the dining table that I ordered has not arrived
- the side table in front of the TV is occupied
- the other rooms are all cleared and prepared, awaiting electrician to install lighting
...just eat in the kitchen, straight outta wok on the stove.

But whew! What a view! I am so loving this sparkly Hong Kong lights by the sea. Being able to cook overlooking such gorgeousness, I feel so inspired, so in awe,....ehm! Watch that butter! It's starting to burn!

The dish in the wok was...
Spicy Turmeric Eggplant - Terong Bumbu Kunyit

Another easy one -pot-wonder. It has the meat, the fibre, the heat, the spices and the combination of textures...creamy eggplant, crunchy chunky green chilli, and springy mushrooms.

Recipe
- 1 long eggplant, halved and sliced in an angle, about 5 mm thick
- 3 large green chilli (not too spicy, replace with the small ones if you want more heat)
- 1 lb minced meat
- 1 cup oyster mushrooms (or button or straw mushrooms)
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 bulbs or shallot, thinly sliced
- 5 mm ginger, crushed
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground corriander seeds
- olive oil, white pepper, fish sauce (or salt), sugar

Soften your eggplants. I did this by tossing them in a bit of olive oil and salt, and dump them in the oven (200C) for about 10 minutes, until softened and a bit browned, set aside. Saute garlic, shallot and ginger in olive oil, add minced meat, cook until almost done (note the color change), add mushrooms, add eggplant, season, cover until thoroughly cooked. Tastes absolutely fantastical with steamed rice, but I bet it also tastes great stuffed into pita bread.

Now excuse me while I lick my kitchen clean (ha ha ha not funny)