Summer is the time when our garden is adorned by the violet color of the aubergines, swinging under the green leaf canopy and waiting to be picked by my mother.
I still remember every time coming back home late from the field, my mother used to pick some fresh, sappy aubegines which have a typical violet like the violet of Hue. After a while, a delicious meal with a fragrant plate of aubergine would be ready to use.
The simplest way to cook the aubergine is steaming. To make this dish, my mother carefully removed the violet cover of the aubergines and clean them. Then, she waited until the rice boiled to put the aubergines in and began to steam.
The steaming aubergines is not only quickly and simply to make but it also keeps the natural sweet taste of the food. Using the dish with fish sauce that includes lemon, garlic and chili would surely give you an interesting strange taste.
On weekends, I used to help my mother prepare the baking aubergines. She said that with this dish, we have to keep the cover as well as the stem of the aubergines. When the surface turn into black yellow and you can smell an attractive fragrance, you can be sure that the aubergines are done.
Holding the stem in one hand, then quickly remove the cover that had been burned a little bit, and you will see the green white part inside, which is so fragrant. After that, cut the green onion into small pieces and dry them with a little peanut oil. Then, pour the onion over the plate of the aubergines, add some sour and sweet fish sauce, and we will finish the dish.
If you taste the dish for just one time, you can never forget its special flavor. It is such a simple and rustic but very delicious and aromatic dish.
Another dish from aubergines is the frying aubergines, which is also very familiar with most people in the hometown. We only need to choose fresh ones, remove their cover, clean them and cut into slice, put them into boiling water and get them out quickly so that we can reduce their pungency.
Next, drying them with peanut oil and garlic, adding some salt and monosodium glutamate. The fragrance of the aubergine mixes with the greasy taste of peanut oil and makes the dish so tasty.
Those are some familiar dishes that people usually make from aubergines. Yet, my mother still had one more special dish. That is frying aubergines with peanut oil, then using the dish with sour and sweet fish sauce.
Today, aubergine has appeared frequently in many big restaurant’s menu with many different kinds of process such as aubergine cooked with shrimp and meat, stewed aubergine, aubergine frying with flour…These dishes have been favored by many customers, since it is very nourishing, it can reduce the cholesterol level in your blood, which is very good for your heart.
Summer is coming again; I can even feel the sweet smell of the baking aubergine somewhere. Our garden now is certainly full of the violet color of the aubergines, and maybe, my mother is waiting for me to come back home and enjoy the dear simple aubergine with all her love for me.
