As someone who grew up in Chinese culture, I believe that food holds a much deeper significance beyond just being a source of sustenance. It serves as a symbol of love, fostering connections, providing comfort, and showing compassion. Sometimes, the power of food transcends language and speaks directly to the heart. What does food mean to you?

Mum had serious gout attacks when she visited me last year, which were caused by a buildup of uric acid in the blood. She was told by the doctor to reduce her meat intake. This dish was one of my attempts to show her that a vegetarian diet can be interesting and tasty.

I’m having trouble coming up with a name for this dish. If you prefer Chinese flavors, a sprinkle of soy sauce before serving would be perfect. Alternatively, an Italian twist could be achieved by adding olive oil, parsley, and parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:

• one or two potato
• one eggplant
• one capsicum
• half an onion
• one tomato
• three cloves of garlic
• 100ml cooking oil for deep fry
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• parsley (optional)
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions:

• Deep fry one cubed potato, an eggplant, capsicum, and half an onion until lightly browned,
• Medium heat a non-stick pan, pour in 3 tablespoons of olive oil, add three chopped cloves of garlic, and some salt, toss for a minute,
• Add one chopped tomato, and the deep-fried veggies, mix, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomato softens,
• Serve sprinkled with chopped herbs and parmesan cheese if you like.

这是一道全素的菜，如果喜欢中国菜的味道，可以在起锅，洒点酱油。意大利口味，就用parsley和parmesan 起司调味。

• 将切好的土豆，茄子，青椒和洋葱分别在油里炸直略微焦黄，
• 不粘锅里倒入油，大蒜和盐爆锅，
• 放入切好的西红柿和油炸过的蔬菜，翻炒， 直到西红柿全熟，
• 起盘后加入parsley 或者芫荽 和parmesan 起司。