“Sweet and sour” is a phrase so associated with Chinese food that when the national Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC decided to add the history of Chinese food and Chinese restaurants in the United States to its collections, it called it the “Sweet and sour initiative.” 

It’s one of a range of dishes in the cuisine of the different regions of China — and of Vietnam, with which I’m much more familiar — that embody the principle of Yin and Yang, a satisfyingly dialectical idea in which opposites complement each other.
Be that as it may, this recipe has little relationship to the original, but it’s easy to make and good to eat.

Ingredients

• 2 large aubergines, cubed
• 4 cloves garlic, or more, to taste, chopped very small
• 1 onion, thickly sliced
• 400g tin tomatoes, drained
• Small bunch fresh basil, stems removed, chopped
• ¼ pint/150ml stock
• 100 ml corn or peanut oil
• Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsps red wine vinegar
• Tsp chilli flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

What to do

Heat the oil to smoking in a wok or large frying pan and fry the aubergines to brown them quickly.
Stir in the onion and garlic, reduce the heat to medium and continue to fry, stirring, for two minutes.
Now add the tomatoes, basil, chilli flakes, sugar and stock and reduce heat further.
Cook for another 15 minutes, or until the aubergine is tender.
Serve with rice or noodles.