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Begin by slicing 600g baby or Chinese aubergines lengthways down the centre and then into 4cm chunks. Salt the aubergine pieces generously and leave for 5 minutes. Rinse the salt off the aubergine, drain away any excess water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Add vegetable oil to a large wok or deep, heavy frying pan until it rises about 1cm up the sides and heat over a medium heat. Add the aubergine pieces and fry until soft and buttery – about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain any excess oil. Turn your attention back to the wok. You’ll need to keep enough oil in it to cover the base but can dispose of the rest.
Add 1 red pepper, sliced into strips, and stir-fry over a high heat for 1-2 minutes, or until softened. Now add in 9 finely diced garlic cloves and 1 sliced red bird’s eye chilli and fry until fragrant. Return the fried aubergine to the wok and mix all the ingredients together.
To make the wok sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Add more sugar or soy sauce, or season with vinegar or MSG, if you like. Pour the sauce into the wok and stir-fry everything for 1 minute.
When ready to serve, garnish the aubergine with 3 Thai basil sprigs, leaves picked, and scatter over some crispy fried shallots. Enjoy with a glass of whisky, if you like.