🍆🐟 Fish-flavored Eggplant Casserole - Hong Kong-style delicious home-cooked rice king

Editor's Preface

Fish-flavored eggplant hotpot is a must-try at tea restaurants, restaurants, and even at home! The fish-flavored sauce is salty and slightly spicy, the eggplant is tender, and the minced meat absorbs all its essence. It's a superb dish to enjoy with rice. The subtle spice and garlic flavor make it both appetizing and a great companion to rice. Vegetarians can even skip the meat filling. This time, we've broken down the perfect sauce and heat ratios, ensuring you can make a restaurant-quality dish without any mistakes!

Ingredients preparation

• 2 eggplants (cut into segments or thick strips)

• 80g minced pork (for vegetarians, use diced mushrooms or diced vegetarian meat)

• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)

• 1 slice of ginger (minced)

• 1 chili pepper (depending on taste)

• 1 green onion (cut the white and green parts into sections)

• A small amount of red pepper (for decoration, optional)

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (mix with water to make thickening)

• Oil (for frying eggplant and sautéing)

• 200ml water or chicken broth

Fish-flavored sauce

• 1-1.5 tablespoons of fermented black bean paste

• 1.5 tablespoons light soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon vinegar

• 0.5 tablespoon dark soy sauce

• 0.5 tablespoon oyster sauce

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1 tablespoon cooking wine

• A few drops of sesame oil (for use before serving)

Detailed steps

🍆 1. Eggplant treatment to absorb oil and prevent blackening

• Cut the eggplant into thick strips, soak in salt water for 10 minutes to remove the water, then pat dry with kitchen paper.

• Prepare another bowl and add cornstarch and mix well (optional), so that the dumplings will be firmer after frying.

• Heat oil (about 180°C) and deep-fry the eggplant until the skin is slightly golden brown. Remove and drain.

• Editor’s tip: Fry the eggplants quickly and absorb less oil when the oil is hot!

🥩 2. Prepare the main ingredients and sauté until fragrant

• Add a little oil to the pan and sauté minced garlic, minced ginger, scallion and chili peppers.

• Add minced pork and stir-fry until it changes color.

• Add broad bean paste, cooking wine and shredded red pepper and mix well, the aroma is fragrant.

🍲 3. Cook the eggplant in the sauce

• Return the fried eggplant to the pan, add light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce, vinegar and water/chicken broth, and mix well with the minced meat.

• Keep the heat at medium and broil for 3-4 minutes to allow the eggplant to absorb all the juice.

• Taste it until it is salty, fragrant and slightly spicy. If you like it juicy, add some water.

🍚 4. Thicken the sauce

• Mix cornstarch with water, then slowly add into the pot, stirring until the sauce thickens and covers the ingredients.

• Sprinkle green onions and add a drop of sesame oil to make the stew fragrant but not greasy.

🥢 5. How to Eat on Stage

• Put the minced eggplant and meat in a small pot and stir-fry until spicy and appetizing.

• It is excellent with rice, noodles or as a side dish.

Editor's Tips

• Eggplant absorbs oil easily, so fry it quickly over high heat, or use an air fryer/oven to reduce the oil.

• For vegetarians, you can use vegetarian meat or mushroom cubes instead of pork, and the taste is just as good.

• The quality of the fermented bean paste affects the taste, so it is recommended to choose Sichuan Pixian fermented bean paste.

• Add a few drops of vinegar to make the flavor more distinct, and add sesame oil just before turning off the heat.

• Cut the eggplant thicker so that it has a chewy texture after cooking, but don't cut it too thin.

Eating experience 😋

The fish-flavored eggplant stew is tender and fragrant, with a spicy, numb Sichuan peppercorn flavor and a slightly sweet chili sauce. Every bite is filled with gravy and the rice is gone. It leaves you feeling full and happy, a Hong Kong favorite!

summary

Fish-flavored eggplant stew is a simple, easy-to-make home-cooked dish. Master the heat and sauce for a one-time success. Cook it once and you'll be craving for more every meal! 🍆🐟🍚 Want a plain version, a tomato sauce version, or even a vegetarian upgrade? I'll share more next time!