Japanese Mapo Eggplant

A few months ago, as I did my almost daily LIDL supermarket run (we have one right next to our home), I was pleasantly surprised to find Japanese eggplant in the veggie section. I bought it and instantly messaged Pia in Fukuoka to ask if she by any chance had a good Japanese eggplant recipe to share. She did of course and sent quite a few. This is the one I ended up making from justonecookbook.com. FYI, it's a tiny bit spicy (which means it's super spicy for most Portuguese, including my husband and two sons), but I LOVE IT! And secretly kind of happy that I don't have to share it with anyone when I make it, which I do on a regular basis. 😁 

Note: You can use normal eggplant as well for this recipe. 

 

INGREDIENTS:

-  284g eggplants (2-3 eggplants)

-  2 scallions

-  1 heaping teaspoon ginger

-  1 clove garlic

-  1 tablespoon corn starch (for coating eggplant)

-  80ml (⅓ cup) oil for frying the eggplant

-  1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil (for stir-frying)

-  200g minced pork (optional, or you can use tofu)

 

-  Slurry Mixture:

      - 1 tablespoon corn starch

      - 2 tablespoons water

 

-  Seasonings:

      - 1 tablespoon sake

      - 1 tablespoon Doubanjiang 豆瓣酱 (spicy chili bean sauce)

      - 1 teaspoon Tienmienjiang 甜麵醬 (sweet bean sauce)

      - 240ml (1 cup) chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

      - 1 teaspoon miso

      - 1 teaspoon sugar

      - 1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce

      - 2 teaspoons rice vinegar

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

1. Cut eggplants into wedges and soak them in water for 5 minutes.

2. Cut the scallions where they separate white and green parts. Cut each part into thin rounds and keep them separated.

3. Grate the ginger (or cut into thin slices, then julienne, then mince them).

4. Transfer the eggplant to a tray/plate, and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle corn starch and coat well.

5. To make the slurry mixture, combine corn starch and water in a measuring cup. Mix well and set aside. You will need to remix the mixture again right before pouring.

6. In a large frying pan, heat ⅓ cup oil on the medium-high heat. Add the eggplant in a single layer or fry in batches if the eggplant overlaps. Pan-fry the eggplant until golden brown and transfer to a plate.

7. The oil used for frying eggplant should be all absorbed by the eggplant. Heat the sesame oil on medium heat and add minced garlic and ginger.

8. Stir fry until they are fragrant. Then add the pork and increase the heat to medium-high.

9. When the pork is 80% cooked, add sake and stir.

10. Add the white part of scallions, Doubanjiang, and Tienmienjiang and stir well to combine. Be careful not to let the sauce get burnt. If the heat is too strong, lower it a bit.

11. Add the broth, miso, sugar, and soy sauce.

12. Bring it to simmer and add the eggplant.

13. Coat the eggplant with the sauce and slowly drizzle the slurry mixture.

14. Bring it to simmer and check the consistency of the sauce. If it's too loose, let the moisture evaporate. If the sauce is too thick, you can drizzle a small amount of water to loosen up. When the consistency is good, drizzle rice vinegar over the sauce to finish it up.

15. Add the green part of scallions right before serving. Serve over steamed rice in a bowl or on a plate by itself. 

Enjoy! And let us know in the comments section if you liked it too. 

Beijinhos from Lisboa,

Helena