Mapo Eggplant (Chinese Spicy Eggplant)

Silky eggplant in a fiery Sichuan chili-bean sauce — the vegetarian cousin of mapo tofu.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Chinese or Japanese eggplant, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water
• Scallions, Sichuan pepper, chili oil

Method

1. Fry eggplant in oil over high heat 4 min until golden and softened. Remove.

2. Add doubanjiang to the pan — fry 1 min until oil turns red.

3. Add garlic, ginger — 30 sec. Add stock, soy sauce, sugar. Simmer 2 min.

4. Return eggplant. Add cornstarch slurry to thicken.

5. Top with scallions, Sichuan pepper, chili oil. Serve over rice.

What You're Practicing

• Doubanjiang is the soul of Sichuan cooking — fermented chili bean paste with deep umami.
• Chinese/Japanese eggplant is thinner and more tender than globe eggplant — it cooks faster and absorbs sauce better.