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Chinese Eggplant with Minced Pork

- Serves 4
​Traditional Chinese eggplant with minced pork is done with mostly fried eggplant and just a tiny amount of minced meat for flavor. My meatier version here has plenty of mince pork to turn this wonderful side dish into a complete meal and the star of your dinner table. I also often make this dish with plant-based mince instead of meat and the result is just as good. Just remember to check the level of salt in the dish before adding light soy sauce, as most brands of plant-based mince are quite salty. Serve this flavored-packed eggplant dish with a side of steamed rice for a complete meal. 

Ingredients for ​Chinese Eggplant with Minced Pork

2 long Asian eggplants
pinch of salt
1 cup minced pork or plant based mince
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 thumb-sized knob ginger, thinly sliced
2 spring onions onions, bulbs and leaves separately chopped
1 tablespoon doubanjiang (hot broad bean paste)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Recipe
  1. Cut eggplant into 3 cm strips or 1” chunks. 
  2. Marinate minced pork with minced ginger, a small pinch of salt and Chinese cooking wine. Set aside. (skip the marination process if using plant based mince)
  3. On medium-high flame, heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry eggplant in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side until the flesh is golden brown all over. Set fried eggplant aside on a plate, leave the oil in, and continue to fry the rest of the eggplant, adding more oil if necessary. Set aside fried eggplant, leaving any leftover oil in the pan.
  4. Add marinated pork (or plant-based mince) into the pan; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until no longer pink.  Set aside.
  5. Add another tablespoon of oil in the pan and stir-fry spring onion bulbs, garlic, ginger, and doubanjiang until aromatic. Return the eggplant along with fried minced pork (or plant based mince), soy sauces, sugar and sesame oil - stir well.
  6. Garnish with chopped spring onion and serve with steamed rice.
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