Recipe
Recipe Collection to Fully Enjoy In-Season Eggplant
Ingredients
- 3eggplants (approx. 300g)
- 100gground pork
- 1clove garlic
- 1tsp low-sodium chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2tbsp soy sauce
- 1tbsp sake
- 1tbsp mirin
- 300mlwater
- 1tbsp potato starch
- 2tbsp water (for starch slurry)
- Slicedred chili pepper, to taste
- Asmall amount of oil
- Chilioil, to taste
- Sesameoil, to taste
About "Spicy Simmered Eggplant"
Inspired by the pale, cooked eggplant seen at Chinese restaurants, this Spicy Simmered Eggplant is a must-try. By microwaving peeled eggplant before simmering it with ground pork, garlic, and simple seasonings, you get a melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich umami. While healthy and using almost no oil, the Maillard reaction creates a deep, savory richness.
Video Timestamps
Tips for Making "Spicy Simmered Eggplant"
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Prep
- Cut off the eggplant stems as close to the top as possible and peel off the calyx with your fingers to avoid wasting any edible parts.
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Prep
- Peeling the eggplants ensures a melt-in-your-mouth texture when simmered. A vertical peeler is easy to use, feeling just like a knife.
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Prep
- Wrap peeled eggplants individually in plastic wrap and microwave at 600W for 5 minutes to cut down simmering time and maximize tenderness.
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Prep
- Make the starch slurry with a golden 1:2 ratio of starch to water to prevent clumping.
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Heat Control
- Sauté the ground pork over medium-low heat until beautifully browned to build deep flavor. The Maillard reaction unlocks rich umami.
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Heat Control
- Add garlic only after browning the pork. Sautéing it from the start can cause it to burn and turn bitter.
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Heat Control
- After adding the sauce mixture, cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Start timing once it reaches a boil.
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Heat Control
- Turn off the heat before adding the starch slurry in 3 to 4 additions, stirring after each. Turning off the heat is key to preventing lumps.
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Seasoning
- Add sliced red chili pepper for a spicy kick that tightens and balances the overall flavor.
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Seasoning
- Arrange the eggplant pieces with their cut sides facing down to help them absorb the flavors better.
Ingredients for "Spicy Simmered Eggplant"
14 items* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon
How to Make "Spicy Simmered Eggplant"
- 1
Cut off the stems of 3 eggplants as close to the top as possible, and peel off the calyx with your fingers.
- 2
Peel the eggplants completely using a vertical peeler. Working over plastic wrap on the cutting board makes cleanup easy.
- 3
Wrap each peeled eggplant tightly in plastic wrap.
- 4
Microwave at 600W for 5 minutes.
- 5
In a bowl, mix 1 tsp low-sodium chicken bouillon powder, 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp mirin, and 300ml water to prepare the sauce mixture.
- 6
In a separate bowl, mix 1 tbsp potato starch with 2 tbsp water to make the starch slurry.
- 7
Since the microwaved eggplants are very hot, use tongs to hold them while cutting into large, bite-sized pieces.
- 8
Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat, lightly grease with oil, and add 100g ground pork.
- 9
Sauté the ground pork thoroughly until it is beautifully browned.
- 10
Add 1 minced garlic clove and sauté quickly until fragrant.
- 11
Pour in the sauce mixture all at once.
- 12
Add the cut eggplants, arranging them with the cut sides facing down.
- 13
Add sliced red chili pepper to taste, if desired.
- 14
Once the mixture comes to a full boil, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 15
After 10 minutes, turn off the heat. Give the starch slurry a quick stir, then pour it in 3 to 4 separate additions, stirring quickly after each addition.
- 16
Once evenly mixed, return to low heat and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to let the starch cook through and thicken properly.
- 17
Plate the dish, drizzle with chili oil or sesame oil to taste, and serve.
Food Science
Sautéing the ground pork until well-browned triggers the Maillard reaction, enhancing its savory aroma. Additionally, combining the inosinate in the pork with the glutamate in the eggplant and chicken bouillon creates an umami synergy. Finally, thickening the sauce with potato starch helps control moisture, allowing the seasonings and umami compounds to cling tightly to the eggplant while keeping the dish hot for longer.
Detailed Commentary on "Spicy Simmered Eggplant"
* Content organized by topics from the video.
Spicy Simmer Inspired by a Chinese Restaurant
Hello, this is Shokudo Sakura! Today, I'm sharing a recipe for Spicy Simmered Eggplant, a perfect way to enjoy eggplant as it comes into season. The inspiration for this recipe came from a recent visit to a Chinese restaurant. I ordered a dish based solely on its name, and when it arrived, I was shocked: 'Wait, the eggplant is white?! What is this?!' But when I tasted it, it was absolutely delicious. I was so impressed that I went through trial and error to adapt it into an easy home-cooked recipe. With very simple ingredients and seasonings, it's incredibly easy to add to your daily menu. Let's start by prepping 3 eggplants (approx. 300g). Cut off the stems as close to the top as possible so you don't waste any edible parts. Then, peel off the remaining calyx with your fingers.
Peeling & Microwaving for a Soft Texture
Once the stems are prepped, let's peel the eggplants. Taking this extra step to peel them ensures they become incredibly soft and melt-in-your-mouth tender when simmered, creating a unique texture. While any peeler works, I personally prefer a vertical peeler because it feels more like using a knife. If you lay down some plastic wrap on your cutting board and peel the eggplants over it, you can just bundle up the skins and toss them in the trash, saving you cleanup time! Next, wrap each peeled eggplant tightly in plastic wrap. Microwave them at 600W for 5 minutes. Pre-cooking them in the microwave not only slashes the simmering time but also helps the eggplant achieve that ultra-tender texture.
Lump-Free Starch Slurry and Sauce Prep
While the eggplants are in the microwave, let's prepare the sauce mixture and the starch slurry for thickening. In a bowl, combine 1 tsp low-sodium chicken bouillon powder, 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp mirin, and 300ml water, and mix well. Next, make the starch slurry, which is essential for the final touch. We'll mix 1 tbsp potato starch with 2 tbsp water. When thickening a relatively small amount of liquid, a 1:2 ratio of starch to water is the golden ratio to prevent clumping. Dissolving it thoroughly beforehand keeps things stress-free later. Once microwaved, the eggplants will be incredibly juicy, cooked in their own moisture. Since they are very hot, use tongs to hold them while cutting them into large, bite-sized pieces.
Sautéing Pork and Garlic for Deep Umami
Now, let's move on to the frying pan. Heat the pan over medium-low heat, add a splash of oil, and start sautéing 100g of ground pork. Since the seasoning in this recipe is very simple, browning the ground pork thoroughly in this step is the ultimate key to unlocking rich flavor. This browning triggers the 'Maillard reaction,' which develops deep richness and umami while eliminating any gamey odor from the pork. Sauté patiently until the pork is evenly coated in oil and beautifully browned. Once you have a nice color, add 1 minced garlic clove. If you sauté garlic from the very beginning, it can easily burn and turn bitter. The trick is to add it after the pork is browned and sauté quickly just until fragrant.
Simmering Eggplant and Thickening Like a Pro
Once the garlic is fragrant, pour in the prepared sauce mixture all at once. Then, add the tender, pre-cooked eggplant. Arrange the eggplant pieces with their cut sides facing down so they absorb the flavors better. At this point, add some sliced red chili pepper to taste if you like. The spicy kick acts as a great accent and tightens the overall flavor profile. Once everything comes to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat. Give your starch slurry a good stir, then pour it in 3 to 4 separate additions, stirring quickly after each. Turning off the heat before adding the slurry is crucial to prevent lumps. Once evenly incorporated, turn the heat back to low and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to fully set the thickness.
Tasting the Melt-in-Your-Mouth Eggplant
Plate the dish and finish with a drizzle of chili oil or sesame oil to taste, and your piping hot Spicy Simmered Eggplant is ready! Taking a bite, the eggplant literally melts in your mouth, blending beautifully with the spicy sauce—it's absolutely divine. Even though it's a healthy dish made with almost no oil, it offers an incredibly rich and satisfying flavor. I highly recommend serving it over hot rice like a 'White Mapo Eggplant Bowl.' You won't be able to stop eating! If you have green onions or garlic chives at home, finely chop them and add them at the end for a nice, crisp contrast to the meltingly soft texture. Simple, easy, yet incredibly satisfying as a main dish—give this recipe a try for dinner tonight!
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食事処さくらの料理教室
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