Szechuan Spicy Eggplant

Description

Folks who love spicy food will approve of this fantastic meat and eggplant dish! This is a recipe from my Chinese mother, whose cooking is unsurpassable. Adjust the amount of chili sauce to suit your taste. Serve over hot rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 (1 1/2 pound) eggplant
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ¼ cup chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon chili sauce
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (Optional)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 large green onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root
  • ¼ pound fresh shrimp – peeled, deveined, and diced
  • ⅓ pound lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 4 cups hot cooked rice

Instructions

  1. Remove the eggplant stem and cut into 1-inch cubes. In a medium bowl
  2. combine the soy sauce
  3. chicken stock
  4. chili sauce
  5. sugar
  6. ground black pepper and oyster sauce. Stir together well and set aside. In a separate small bowl
  7. combine the cornstarch and water
  8. and set aside.
  9. Coat a large
  10. deep pan with cooking spray over high heat and allow a few minutes for it to get very hot. Saute the garlic
  11. half of the green onions
  12. ginger and dried shrimp
  13. if using (see Cook’s Note) for 3 to 5 minutes
  14. stirring constantly
  15. until they begin to brown. Stir in the ground beef or pork and cook for 3 more minutes
  16. again stirring constantly
  17. until browned.
  18. Pour the eggplant into the pan and stir all together. Pour the reserved soy sauce mixture over all
  19. cover the pan
  20. reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 15 minutes
  21. stirring occasionally. If you’re using fresh shrimp
  22. add it during the last few minutes of cooking. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and let heat until thickened. Finally
  23. stir in the rest of the green onions and the sesame oil.
  24. Serve over hot rice.

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

Servings: 4

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