Spicy Eggplant and Minced ‘Pork’

Care to share!

This Chinese Eggplant with Minced ‘Pork’ recipe is simple yet delicious. The humble eggplant is enhanced with a savory sauce, numbing the heat from Sichuan pepper and adding texture and flavor from the minced ‘pork’ (in this case plant-based ground).

Eggplant’s silky texture and ability to absorb flavors from sauces come together perfectly in this main dish that you can easily prepare to share with friends and family. It’s perfect with a bowl of steamed rice for a truly satisfying meal.

This Spicy Eggplant with Minced ‘Pork’ is:

• Really easy to put together
• Perfect with rice or noodles
• Great for sharing
• Just like Chinese takeout, or better!
• Easy to customize – you can add other vegetables or proteins of your choice!

How do you keep eggplant purple?

I stumbled upon a video a few months ago and learned this trick of soaking eggplant in water with a little vinegar to keep the eggplant’s bright purple hue and prevent it from browning, and how it actually works!

You can of course skip this step and proceed to roast the eggplants but they will turn brown. I also love to eat with my eyes and love the beautiful purple color of eggplant so I love to do this.

Here’s what you need to keep eggplant from browning

A simple mix of:

To soak eggplant

• Prepare a large bowl for the eggplant. Add the water and vinegar then mix for the eggplant.
• Cut the eggplants into batons, about 3 inches long and 1 inch thick. Place the eggplant skin side down in a large bowl with the water and vinegar mixture. This will help the eggplant retain its purple hue even after cooking. You can also stir the eggplants every 5 minutes so that all the pieces touch the vinegar water. Let the eggplants sit in the water for 10-15 minutes.

Sitar-fry sauce

What you will need

Make the sauce mixture by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Mix everything until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside.

for frying

• 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
• 1 small bunch fresh ginger, grated
• 8 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup vegan mince or plant-based ground beef, I used Garden’s Ground Beef (See recipe notes below for alternatives)
• 2 red chilies, I used bird’s eye chilies
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce to taste, if needed (see note)
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce to season as needed (see note)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper powder I simply processed whole peppers
• 2 tablespoons of chili oil, Check out the homemade recipe here

How to cook this eggplant with minced ‘pork’

• If using TVP, rehydrate TVP by soaking in hot water until doubled in size. If using mushrooms, dice or mince the mushrooms.
• Heat a large wok or skillet over medium high. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add the garlic and ginger and fry for a minute or until fragrant. Add vegan mince/TVP/mushrooms and leave to cook for 2-3 minutes. If mushrooms are used, it is best to cook them over high heat and brown them on all sides. Cooking mushrooms at high heat can draw out excess moisture while achieving a nice sear.
• Add red chilies and Sichuan pepper powder and fry side by side. Vegan mince/TVP/mushrooms, season to taste if required. Remove the vegan mince/TVP/mushrooms from the wok or skillet and set aside.

Drain the brinjal and pat dry before frying

• Drain the eggplant from the water. Dry with a kitchen towel.
• Heat the same kadai or kadai on medium heat then add 2 tbsp oil. Add some brinjal when hot. You can add the eggplant flesh side first and flip to cook the rest of the sides.
• Cook the eggplant on medium high until lightly browned and tender, but not overcooked. Do not overcook the eggplant at this stage as you will cook it in the sauce later.
• Remember that overcooking eggplants will cause the skin to brown so be sure not to overcook them.
• Keep the eggplant aside and cook the rest in batches (if needed).

Add the minced ‘pork’ back to the wok

• Once all the brinjal is cooked, return the brinjal to the pan/pan. Mix the sauce again to make sure the cornstarch is well incorporated into the sauce. On medium heat, add all the eggplant and vegan mince/TVP/mushrooms to the pan.
• Pour over the sauce and mix well to coat each piece of sauce. The sauce will begin to thicken from the cornstarch.
• Leave the eggplant to cook over medium-high heat until soft and silky to your liking.
• Add in chilli oil and season eggplant with soy sauce/vegetarian sauce if required to taste.

Enjoy your eggplant with minced ‘pork’

• Turn off the flame. Serve and enjoy with rice. If desired, garnish with green onions and coriander leaves.

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