Today I ate braised eggplant, my favourite dish. I have eaten it everyday for the past couple of weeks because it’s easy to cook and tastes great though probably fattening. Anyway so thought I’d share the secrets (mwahahaha) with you all.

The ingredients are as follows:

• 3-4 Chinese or Japanese eggplants
• 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or chicken/ham broth
• 1 tablespoon Sichuan fermented chili-bean paste (or generic Asian chili-garlic sauce if unavailable)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons black vinegar (or 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar and 2 tablespoons cider vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons ginger, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
• 4 scallions, whites and light green parts finely chopped, greens sliced (optional)
• 2 small hot green chilies (preferably Chinese, but Serrano or Jalapeño will do fine), seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped (optional)
• 3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
• 4 ounces ground pork (optional)
• A sporadic sprinkling of sliced tomato (optional)

Cut the eggplant into quarters by length, then cut into 3-4 inch portions. Put pieces in bamboo steamer and steam in wok over medium heat until fully tender, about 15 minutes more or less. If cooked, an indentation made with finger on the eggplant should not spring back. Transfer eggplant to bowl and set aside.
Next put wine and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk until no dry cornstarch remains in the bowl.

Add broth, bean paste, soy sauce, black vinegar, and sugar and whisk to combine them. Add ginger, garlic, scallion whites, and chilis in small bowl. Heat up oil in wok over high heat until just beginning to smoke but be careful not to burn the oil. Add ground pork and stir-fry for 40 seconds until most of the pink colour is gone. Push pork to sides of wok to make space at bottom.

Add a ginger mixture and stir fry 30 seconds until there is an aromatic smell  Add an eggplant and toss to combine them. Add sauce mixture and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick and rich should take about 15 minutes. Optionally add the scallions then serve. Hope you enjoy it.