Oh, Eggplants!

Perseverance pays off!

I absolutely LOVE eggplants. It's one of my favorite vegetables. After years of tweaking the way I cook eggplants, I have finally figured out the recipe that hubby would happily eat without the "It's good, but I don't like eggplant." comment. (What a backhanded compliment! Isn't that just a nicer way of saying "not good enough to win me over"?) Even J loves it. I still need to work on D, but I'm confident that he too will come around in due time. =) Now I can buy a big bag of eggplants without any guilt thinking that I was being selfish making something that only I enjoy.

Eggplant in Garlic Sauce

3 long Chinese or Japanese eggplants (about 1.5 lb)
5 oz ground pork
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chili bean sauce
vegetable or canola oil

⅓ cup chicken broth
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp corn starch
2 tsp soy sauce
4 tsp oyster sauce

Marinate:
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp corn starch
2 tsp soy sauce
1 ½ tsp water
white pepper

Marinate the pork in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Mix chicken broth, sugar, corn starch, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Set aside.

Cut the eggplants into 2 - 3 inch long sections. Quarter each section lengthwise. Microwave them in batches till tender. (About 5 minutes on high if they are not crowded.) Drain.

In a pan, heat 3 tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add only enough eggplant pieces that would fit in a single layer, cut side down. Pan fry for about 30 seconds till the sides are golden. Flip the pieces to fry the other cut sides. After 30 seconds, when the sides are golden, remove and drain. Repeat with more eggplant. Add more oil when necessary.

Leave about 1 tbsp of oil in the pan. Add garlic, when the aroma comes out, add the chili bean sauce, stir. Add pork, stir till no longer pink. Add the eggplant and the sauce. Mix and stir till thickens.

Serve with rice.

Traditionally, the eggplants are deep fried. Just like carrots, eggplants can absorb a lot of oil. Microwaving then pan-frying greatly reduced the amount of oil it takes, making it a much healthier alternative.

If you are a die hard eggplant lover like me, raise the eggplant to meat ratio, and adjust the sauce quantity accordingly. If you are a carnivore like hubby, resist the urge to add more meat. Trust me, 5 ounces are more than enough.

1 tbsp of chili bean sauce is still relatively mild. If you enjoy really spicy food, feel free to add more. I often reduce it to 1 tsp, so that my kids can partake in it.