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Close up of a pan of cooked Chinese eggplant and minced pork

Chinese eggplant with minced pork

Rich in umami flavour, all thanks to the caramelised savoury seasoning with a touch of sweetness. Takes 30 minutes from start to finish. Simple ingredients done well is what home-cooking is all about!
4.62 from 18 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 328kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggplants (about 550g/1¼lbs each) diced into 2.5-4 cm/1-1.5 inch pieces
  • 250 g /9oz pork mince substitute: chicken mince
  • 5 cloves garlic peeled, whole (note 1)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (note 2)
  • 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine substitute: dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar substitute: white sugar (note 3)
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • 3 tablespoon oil any

To garnish

  • 1 spring onion/scallion finely sliced

To serve

  • freshly steamed rice

Instructions

  • Toss eggplant pieces through 2 tablespoon of oil and spread it out in a single layer on a large, lined baking tray. Grill/broil at 220°C/430°F for 15 minutes or until edges are golden. No need to flip halfway through.
  • With 5 minutes left of grilling/broiling, get started on the remaining ingredients. Fry garlic on medium heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil on a large skillet/non-stick pan on the stove.
  • Once the garlic is lightly golden, about 2 minutes, add pork mince into the pan and saute on high heat. About 1 minute or until brown but not yet cooked through.
  • Add shaoxing wine, allow it to reduce by half then add soy sauces, sugar and white pepper. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.
  • Eggplant should be golden by now, remove from oven and add it straight into the pan with the pork mince sauce. Cook on medium-low heat for about 6 minutes, stirring every minute. Do not add any water at any point! (note 4) Remove from heat.
  • Sprinkle finely sliced spring onions and serve with freshly steamed rice.

Video

Notes

Note 1. Keep the garlic whole and fry them until golden. By the time this mega flavoursome dish is complete, the garlic will become creamy soft and will taste sooo good. The garlic flavour will be subtle so don't worry about garlic breath! (and even if so, so what? it's delicious)
Note 2. Use high quality dark soy sauces. When it comes to soy sauces, you get what you pay for. It's something that lasts quite a long time so do invest in quality soy sauces. The differences in flavour are huuuge! If in doubt, pick the more expensive bottle. Otherwise, ask the staff at the Asian grocer, they'll be able to help you out. My favourite brands are Wan Ja Shan (their Premium Aged Soy Sauce is the best!) and Kimlan. Both are usually available at most Asian grocers. This is not a sponsored shout out.  
Note 3. Brown sugar are deeper in flavour due to its molasses contents. If you don't have it handy, white sugar or even honey will work. 
Note 4. Make sure that the eggplants and the soy sauces have turned caramelly and deep in colour before turning the heat off. The richer the colour, the more flavoursome this dish will be! So keep stirring (for even cooking) but remember to keep the heat to medium-low. Don't want to burn the soy sauces!
Leftovers lasts up to 4 days in the fridge, up to 6 months in the freezer.
Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.1g | Protein: 13.3g | Fat: 21.7g | Saturated Fat: 5.3g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 668mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 11.6g | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg