Baja Style Aubergine Tacos (vegan) by Jake Norman

Start by peeling the aubergine and slicing into finger sized pieces. Place in a colander ands sprinkle well with salt, toss and leave to one side for 30 minutes until the juice start to drain.

Onto the batter – place all the ingredients in a blender (except the oil) and blitz together for 20 seconds. If you don’t have a blender, mix the flour (250g), baking powder and cornflour in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the sparkling water and vodka until a smooth batter. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Time to set the table and get frying. Place the medium sauce pan on a medium heat and add 500ml of veg oil – do not fill past half way up. Heat the oil to 180oC.

Line you aubergines up next to a bowl with a bowl of the extra 100g flour in, and your batter next to that. When the oil is ready, give your aubergines a gentle squeeze to remove any excess water, then throw a handful into the flour. Evenly coat them before adding them to the batter. Use your tongs to put them in oil, frying in batches of 4 or 5 at a time. You want them to get a deep golden colour, which should take about 3 minutes, turning them a couple of times. When ready place on a paper towel on a plate, season again with salt. 

As you work in batches you can also start heating your tortillas – 30 seconds on each side in a dry frying pan on a medium to high heat.

To serve, spread the Chipotle Mayo on the tortilla, top with cabbage, add a couple aubergine pieces, a smear of the tomatillo salsa, a big dollop of Chipotle VEGAN Mayonnaise, some pink onions and coriander. Squeeze of lime and some hot sauce, if you like it like that.