Ingredients
- 2 long eggplants (600-700g)
- Water and a touch of vinegar (for soaking)
- 4 large garlic cloves, roughly minced
- ½ inch fresh ginger, roughly minced
- 1 tbsp ground bean sauce (minsi / fermented soybean paste)
- 1 tbsp Guilin chili sauce (Lee Kum Kee)
- ½ tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1½ cups stock or water
- 1 tsp sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp MSG
- Cilantro, chopped, to garnish
- Oil for cooking (½ tbsp + 1½ tbsp)
Instructions
- Cut tops off eggplants and peel, leaving some strips of skin for colour. Cut into 5cm sections, then slice each section into thirds, then cut each slice into three sticks — roughly 5cm long and 2cm wide.
- Soak eggplant sticks in water with a touch of vinegar for 15 minutes to draw out bitterness. Drain well until no water is dripping.
- Heat wok until very hot. Turn heat off, add ½ tbsp oil and swirl. Turn heat back to high, add eggplant in a single layer. Fry patiently until browned on all sides and beginning to wilt. Remove and set aside.
- Same wok, no washing. Heat to medium, add 1½ tbsp oil and swirl. Add garlic and ginger, fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add ground bean sauce, break up with spatula. Once fragrant, add Guilin chili sauce. Fry together until well combined.
- Swirl in Shaoxing wine. Add eggplant back into wok.
- Quick fry, then add 1½ cups stock or water. Bring to a boil.
- Season with sugar, salt, and MSG. Transfer everything to a clay pot or small saucepan. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes until eggplant is completely softened.
- Taste and adjust salt if needed. Top with chopped cilantro and serve over rice.
My Notes
⚠️ For guests who can't handle spice: reduce Guilin chili to 1 tsp, increase minsi to 1.5 tbsp.
This is part of Chinese Cooking Demystified's Cantonese "Over Rice" series.