by monkeymom
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my 34 recipes »
monkeymom's Notes:
Expand1 1/2 pound Chinese or Japanese eggplant (about 4 large) Ask a question about this ingredient
4-6 ounces pork (boneless country ribs, ground pork, or pork tenderloin all work fine. This can also be omitted if you want this to be vegetarian) Ask a question about this ingredient
2 green onions, sliced thinly Ask a question about this ingredient
4 garlic cloves, minced Ask a question about this ingredient
4-5 tablespoons soy sauce Ask a question about this ingredient
2 teaspoons sesame oil Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 teaspoon white pepper Ask a question about this ingredient
2 teaspoons cornstarch Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon brown sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
~1/2 cups vegetable oil Ask a question about this ingredient
optional: For a spicy dish, 1-2 whole green fresh Serrano chili peppers, 1-2 dried whole red peppers, or 1-2 Tbsp of hot chili oil. Ask a question about this ingredient
Cut the pork into small thin pieces and add 3 Tbsps of the soy sauce, the white pepper, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Mix well. Marinate while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Ask a question about this stepWash and cut eggplants to about 3 inches long, and then slice each piece in half.
Ask a question about this stepScore each half ¼ inch deep on the skin side diagonally every 1/2 in. Then score perpendicular to the first set of score marks making a criss-cross pattern.
Ask a question about this stepUse a 12-inch nonstick frying pan. Heat the pan to medium. Add 3 Tbsps of cooking oil. Place half of the eggplants on the pan, purple skin side up. Don’t overlap. Sprinkle ¼ tsp salt on the eggplants. Check often. The eggplant will absorb the oil quickly, but it is okay. If the eggplant appears to be getting too dark and not softening, turn down the heat a bit. Turn the eggplants over when well-browned and softened slightly.
Ask a question about this stepFry the purple skin side and sprinkle another ¼ tsp salt on the eggplant again. Fry the eggplants until it is softened and browned. Don’t cover the pan or add any water. Remove the browned eggplants to a plate. They should be slightly softened, but not falling apart. Repeat browning the other half of the eggplants as above and remove to same plate when done.
Ask a question about this stepIn the same frying pan, heat 1 tablespoonful of cooking oil. (If you want the eggplant dish spicy, you can add the whole green or dried red chili peppers now. Stir fry them briefly to let them release their heat to the oil. Discard them. As an alternative, you can add purchased chili oil instead.) Add green onion and garlic. Stir them. Don’t burn them. Add marinated pork and brown them. (If doing a vegetarian version, mix up the marinade ingredients and add them here.)
Ask a question about this stepPut browned soft eggplants back into the pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and 1 Tbsp of soy sauce over the eggplants and mix well. Gently stir-fry them in the pan for about 5 to 10 minutes until eggplants are softened enough to your desired texture. Taste and season with additional soy sauce, sugar, or salt as needed. Don’t cover the pan.
Ask a question about this stepMy mom says “Remove your delicious eggplants to a beautiful plate and enjoy it with your family or friends.” Serve hot.
Ask a question about this stepMy mom and I are so happy to have so many great cooks enjoying this dish! I love to hear the additions as well. Thanks for the nice comments!
I make this at least twice a month. When the Japanese eggplant are particularly beautiful and plentiful, it's on our table even more often. The other night I made it with shrimp. Delicious!! Easily, this is one of my favorite recipes on food52. Please thank your dear mother for me, and for my sons and Mr. T., again. ;o)
I made this dish a month ago with beautiful eggplants from the farmers market. I will make it again tonight for my dad who if visiting from out of town. Thanks to you and your mom for such a great recipe.
I am picking eggplant like crazy - I will be making this often this summer!!!!
Monkeymom - these are incredible! I've been meaning to make these forever and finally did last night. So delicious - like the restaurant dish but even better! My daughter and her friend just loved the flavor. Thanks so much and Happy Mother's Day to you and your Mom
Yay! So glad you all liked it. Happy belated Mom's day to you too!
monkeyman, please thank your mother, from me, for this amazing recipe. I made it again tonight, this time with ground pork. Oh, just to die for! It's one of our favorite dinners. Tell your mother that I've made it at least twelve times, probably more, since you posted it, and every time, it gets rave reviews. ;o)
So happy that you are enjoying this! My mom is very happy to share it with you. It is my favorite!
This looks sooooooooo appealing! I can't wait to make it this week! Thanks!
It is good! It's one of the best recipes on the site. I bought some Japanese eggplants just yesterday, to make this again within the next few days. You will love it. Be sure to use a non-stick skillet, and follow the instructions exactly, to the letter. Sensational!! ;o)
making this soon in its vegetarian version, thank goodness for the view comments on the side that helps you find great new recipes.
Hope you guys like it! It's on regular rotation in our house :) I'm so glad you like it AJ!
I'm actually making this again, tonight! (Will use chicken, as that's what I have on hand . . . .) Just love this recipe. One of my top ten, easily, from my year on food52, and I try a lot of the recipes here!!
Made this again, using sweet, just-picked Chinese eggplants from our Asian farmers' market (downtown Oakland on Fridays). So delicious! I used chicken thigh meat instead of pork. I could eat this every week. ;o)
Finally got around to making this after eyeballing it for months. It was worth the wait . . . delicious. Two of us ate the whole mess of it - it was that good. Thanks!
So glad you like it!! Thanks for letting me know, mom was so happy to hear that other folks are trying it out.
We made this over the weekend. First, your instructions are perfect. Second, and more important, the finished product was a huge hit, even among those who generally don't care much for eggplant. We used a large non-stick skillet, and very little oil, so the eggplant wasn't greasy at all, as it often is in restaurants. I used exactly the same method, by the way (minus the criss crosses) to prepare some Blue Lake beans and chicken, also with excellent results. Two thumbs up!! This one is a real keeper. ;o)
AJ, I'm so happy you all liked it! I'll have to try it with beans and chicken, sounds delicious. I'm glad to hear you used little oil too with success. I'm hungry now!
Please give your mom a GIANT hug from me ... I made this last night for dinner - didn't cover the pan, didn't add water, didn't burn the garlic - and it was SO GOOD. I didn't remove to a beautiful plate, just piled it all on my plate and ate it up ...
Oh my...looks like my favorite Chinese restaurant dish is now within reach!!! The picture looks so so good and your mom is so cute!
Thanks WinnieAb! This is one of my favorites at restaurants too!
That's what I was thinking! I always order this dish, and can't wait to try it at home. Thanks for this great recipe. Say hi to your mom, she's just adorable.
Thanks MrsWheelbarrow! I sent her the link and she said it was so great to see such nice comments posted.
Love this recipe! Have always wanted to know how to make this . . . so many great tips, especially all the "Don'ts"!!! Love the photos, too! ;o)
Thanks AntoniaJames! The tips are key...before having this recipe I've tried to do this and always ruined it by doing just those things like covering the pan, etc. It's great to finally be able to make it myself!
This sounds awesome. And mom is so cute! I bet she's a great cook, like you!
Ah, you are so nice! She is a spectacular cook, I'm not even in the same league. Maybe someday!
Your mom is adorable! This recipe sounds wonderful, I can't to try it!
:) she is cute...and bossy. Just kidding. Let me know how it turns out if you do try it.
Mollie is the best-selling author of many (mostly) vegetarian cookbooks, including the original Moosewood Cookbook, The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, and a trilogy of cookbooks for kids. Her most recent title is Get Cooking : 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen.
Hi! I made a vegetarian version of this and used a regular stainless pan because it's large enough to hold the quantity of eggplant I'm making, so I did have to use just a little water after the eggplants browned to get them to unstick a bit. What is the thinking in your recipe behind not using water? I found that the flavor in my dish was still very good and not diluted.