Spicy and Sweet Eggplant Rice Bowl
Hearty Pork and Spicy-Sweet Eggplant Rice Bowl Recipe
Let’s start a delicious eggplant dish that will make even those who don’t usually like eggplants crave it! This recipe is a true rice thief.
Main Ingredients
- 2 Eggplants
- 1/4 Onion
- A little Green Onion
- 1/2 Red Chili Pepper (optional)
- 45g Frozen Minced Pork
- 800ml Water
Pork Marinade
- 1 Tbsp Mirin (cooking wine)
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- Pinch of Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
Rice Bowl Sauce Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Mirin (cooking wine)
- A little Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Mirin (cooking wine)
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- Pinch of Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
Rice Bowl Sauce Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Mirin (cooking wine)
- A little Sesame Oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash all the ingredients thoroughly and prepare them. Using leftover vegetables from your refrigerator can be a great way to make this dish.
Step 2
Trim the ends off the eggplants and slice them diagonally into about 1cm thick pieces. Slice the onion into thick strips, and finely chop the green onion and red chili pepper.
Step 3
In a bowl, combine the minced pork with 1 Tbsp of mirin, 1 Tbsp of sugar, and a pinch of black pepper. Mix well. Finally, add 1 Tbsp of soy sauce and mix to finish the marinade.
Step 4
Heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant slices and fry them until golden brown and slightly softened. Continue until the eggplant edges start to look a bit wrinkled.
Step 5
Once the eggplant is nicely fried, transfer it to a plate lined with a wire rack or paper towels to drain excess oil. It already looks appetizing, doesn’t it?
Step 6
In the same pan (you can wipe off excess oil if needed), add a little oil and sauté the minced garlic and chopped green onions over medium-low heat until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. (Tip: Controlling the heat is crucial! Burnt garlic will make the sauce bitter.) The aroma from this step is so wonderful that you could even just scramble an egg and stir-fry it with this mixture to make a delicious fried rice.
Step 7
Next, add a bit of chili powder and stir-fry it with the garlic and green onions.
Step 8
This process will create a fragrant chili oil infused with the flavors of garlic and green onions.
Step 9
Now it’s time to add the marinated minced pork to the pan.
Step 10
Stir-fry the pork in the infused oil, breaking it up so it doesn’t clump together. Cook until it’s no longer pink.
Step 11
Add 2 Tbsp of oyster sauce and stir-fry until glossy. (At this point, also add 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp mirin for the sauce base.)
Step 12
Pour in 800ml of water (or you can reduce it to 400ml for a thicker sauce) and bring it to a boil. Adjust the water amount based on the desired consistency.
Step 13
Once the sauce starts to boil, add the fried eggplant and sliced red chili pepper. Then, we’ll thicken the sauce using the cornstarch slurry.
Step 14
Before using the cornstarch slurry, make sure to stir it well again to ensure the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Gradually pour the slurry into the boiling sauce while stirring continuously until you achieve your desired thickness.
Step 15
Once the sauce has thickened to your liking, add the sliced onions and stir-fry briefly, just enough to soften them slightly while keeping them a little crisp. Finally, drizzle with a little sesame oil to finish. Serve generously over warm rice and enjoy!
