Stir-Fried Eggplant with Minced Meat (Zap Fan Style)

Ingredients

• 5 small eggplants (chopped and sliced thinly)
• 3 cloves garlic (chopped; divided use)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil (for stir-frying eggplant and meat)
• 150 g minced meat (pork or chicken)
• 1 tbsp doubanjiang (fermented bean paste)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (or sweet soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with a little water)
• 2 bird's eye chili (chopped)
• 1 stalk spring onions (chopped for garnish)
• 0.5 tsp sesame oil (for finishing)

Steps

1. 1

   Chop the 5 small eggplants into thin slices and mince the garlic.

2. 2

   Heat oil in a pan or wok. Add the eggplant slices and stir-fry until they are well coated with oil and have softened. Remove the eggplant from the pan and set aside.

3. 3

   In the same pan, stir-fry the minced meat until it begins to brown.

4. 4

   Add the minced garlic and doubanjiang (fermented bean paste) to the meat and stir-fry until fragrant.

5. 5

   Stir in the soy sauce, sweet/dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce.

6. 6

   Pour in the cornstarch slurry and continue to cook until the sauce thickens and the meat is almost done.

7. 7

   Add the chopped bird's eye chili and return the cooked eggplant to the pan, tossing to combine with the sauce.

8. 8

   Serve the dish hot, garnished with chopped spring onions and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Notes

To ensure the eggplant cooks perfectly, the author suggests slicing them thinly and ensuring they are well coated in oil. A community tip suggests steaming the eggplant before frying to achieve a better texture with less oil. If the dish is too salty, reduce the amount of doubanjiang or use low-sodium soy sauce.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• stir-fried
• Chinese
• easy dinner
• high protein
• budget-friendly
• weeknight dinner