Three treasures of the earth, eggplant, potato, and bell pepper, fried and then coated in a glossy garlic and black vinegar sauce. A Northeastern Chinese classic embraced by Beijing tables everywhere.
Ingredients
- 2 pieces Long Chinese eggplant (or globe eggplant)
- 2 pieces Potato (such as Yukon Gold)
- 1 piece Green bell pepper
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 piece Fresh ginger
- 2 pieces Scallion
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese black rice vinegar (Chinkiang)
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- 3 tbsp Cornstarch
- 500 ml Neutral vegetable oil (peanut or sunflower)
- 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil
- 100 ml Water
Method
- Prepare the vegetables: cut the eggplant and potato into irregular, similarly sized pieces using the roll-cut technique (making a diagonal cut and turning the vegetable a quarter turn between each cut). Seed the green bell pepper and cut it into similarly sized pieces. Finely chop the garlic, grate the ginger, and slice the scallion, keeping the garlic separate from the rest.
- Coat the eggplant: sprinkle the eggplant pieces with cornstarch and toss with your hands until each piece is evenly coated in a fine powdery film. The starch absorbs surface moisture and ensures a crispy crust when frying.
- Fry the potato: heat the oil in a wok or large pot over medium-high heat. Drop in the potato pieces and fry for about four to five minutes, until they are golden and tender when pierced with a chopstick. Drain on paper towels.
- Fry the eggplant: in the same oil, drop in the coated eggplant pieces and fry for about three to four minutes, until golden and crispy on the outside but still meltingly tender in the center. Drain on paper towels.
- Fry the bell pepper: drop the bell pepper into the hot oil for about thirty seconds, just long enough to blister it and set its bright color. Drain immediately.
- Prepare the sauce: in a bowl, combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, black rice vinegar, brown sugar, remaining cornstarch, and water. Whisk until completely dissolved. Set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics: drain the oil from the wok, leaving just a thin film at the bottom. Return to high heat. Sauté the grated ginger and sliced scallion for about thirty seconds, until fragrant but not browned.
- Thicken the sauce: pour the sauce mixture into the wok while stirring constantly. Let it thicken for twenty to thirty seconds until you have a glossy, coating sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
- Final toss: add the potatoes, eggplant, and bell pepper back to the wok. Stir-fry vigorously for one minute to coat all the vegetables in the sauce. Add the chopped garlic at the very end to preserve its characteristic raw bite.
- Finish: off the heat, drizzle with toasted sesame oil and give the wok two or three tosses to fragrance the dish. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately with plain white rice.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 273.2 kcal
- Protein
- 2.38 g
- Carbohydrate
- 17.48 g
- Fat
- 21.47 g
- Fibre
- 1.75 g
- Calcium
- 13.66 mg
- Iron
- 0.67 mg
- Magnesium
- 21.96 mg
