Spicy & Savory Mala Eggplant Rice Bowl: An Irresistibly Addictive Home-Style Dish
Make Restaurant-Quality Mala Eggplant Rice Bowl at Home with This Easy Recipe!
Discover a delicious eggplant rice bowl recipe using seasonal vegetables! 🙂
Main Ingredients- 1 Eggplant
- 120g Minced Pork
- 40g Onion
- 10g Chives
- A pinch of Dried Vietnamese Chilies
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Let’s start with preparing the ingredients. First, peel and finely dice the onion. Wash the eggplant, remove the stem, and cut it into bite-sized pieces, about 1.5 cm thick. Cutting them slightly thicker will help maintain a good texture after stir-frying.
Step 2
Next, let’s chop the aromatics. Split the white part of the scallion lengthwise and then mince it into small pieces, about 0.5 cm wide. Cut the chives into segments approximately 3-4 cm long. Coarsely mince the garlic for a pleasant texture. (You should have about 1 Tbsp of minced garlic).
Step 3
Now, let’s begin stir-frying. Heat a generous amount of cooking oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, being careful not to burn it, to infuse the oil. Once the garlic aroma is released, add the minced scallions and diced onions. Continue to stir-fry over medium heat until the onions become translucent and fragrant.
Step 4
Once the vegetables are softened, add the minced pork. Break up any clumps with a spatula or chopsticks and stir-fry until the surface of the pork is lightly cooked and changes color. Then, add all the prepared eggplant. Stir-fry over medium heat until the eggplant softens and wilts, absorbing the oil. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent the eggplant from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Step 5
For an extra kick of spice, you can add 2-3 dried Vietnamese chilies (broken into pieces) at this stage and stir-fry them with the other ingredients for a deeper flavor. Now it’s time for the mala sauce. Remember to shake the mala sauce bottle well before pouring to ensure the ingredients are evenly mixed. Pour the sauce into the pan and stir-fry until it coats all the ingredients evenly. Continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes, allowing the sauce to meld with the ingredients.
Step 6
We’re almost there! Add the fresh chives and stir-fry briefly, just enough to keep their crisp texture – this is key! Just before turning off the heat, drizzle in the sesame oil for a nutty aroma. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning with a little salt or black pepper if needed. Once everything is well combined, your delicious Mala Eggplant stir-fry is ready.
Step 7
Serve the fluffy, freshly cooked hot rice in a bowl. Generously spoon the freshly prepared Mala Eggplant stir-fry over the rice. Behold your impressive, homemade Mala Eggplant Rice Bowl! Enjoy it while it’s hot!
