All recipe posts are written by our co-founder Jennifer J. Yoo unless otherwise noted.
This is my take on Chinese eggplants with spicy garlic sauce, a dish I order time to time from my local delivery spot. Ssamjang was kind of perfect for this as it brings the perfect amount of spicy, salty and savory flavor. All I added in addition were some garlic and sesame oil. Eggplant stir fry, when paired with meat, normally comes with pork but I decided to make it with chicken which is my favorite choice for protein. I imagine you can easily make this with tofu and turn it vegetarian. I had it as-is but also love it topped on udon noodles or on rice.
TIME 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Chinese/Japanese eggplants, about 1 lbs
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey (beef and pork also works)
- 3 tablespoons ssamjang
- 1 tablespoon cheongjang soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons infrared roasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon infrared roasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon mirin*
- 2 scallions, cut length wise then cut into about 2" slices
- 1 red pepper such as Hungarian paprika. If using bell pepper, 1/4 of a pepper is sufficient. Cut into thin slices/strips.
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a mixing bowl, add chicken, 1 teaspoon each of sesame oil and minced garlic, black pepper. Blend it in and set aside.
- Slice eggplants about 2-3" in length, then quarter the pieces. In a heated wok - with no oil - add eggplants and cook for about 5 minutes. This will help release water from the eggplants, thus giving it a soft chewy texture and reducing the risk of the sauce becoming a watery mess.
- In the same wok, add grape seed, corn or vegetable oil (something that can hold up to heat) then throw in the scallions and peppers. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chicken and stir around to cook it evenly.
- While the chicken is cooking, in a small bowl add ssamjang, cheongjang soy sauce, the remaining teaspoon of sesame oil and minced garlic, sesame seeds.
- Once the chicken is about 90% cooked, add the eggplants and then the sauce mixture. Stir around and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve as is or on top of a bed of rice.
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