Braised Eggplant with Tomato
One eggplant, one tomato, a quarter of an onion, 10g of sugar and 2g of salt combine to create a delicious, well-balanced dish. The eggplant does not need to be fried until it is overly soft; you can remove it from the oil as soon as its skin hardens. The final stir-fry step is very quick: just coat all ingredients evenly with the sauce and drizzle with the starchy glaze. You can add a small amount of vinegar for extra flavor if you like.
Story
This beloved, comforting staple of Chinese home cooking features silky braised eggplant paired with bright, juicy tomato for a perfectly balanced savory-sweet flavor that pairs wonderfully with a bowl of plain steamed rice.
Ingredients
tomato
to taste
eggplant
to taste
onion
to taste
salt
to taste
white sugar
to taste
light soy sauce
to taste
starch
to taste
sauce
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Photo of some ingredients
2
Step 2
Cut eggplant into strips roughly the thickness of a finger, place in a basin, add dry starch, and toss to coat evenly.
3
Step 3
Peel the tomatoes and cut into small chunks, slice the onion into shreds.
4
Step 4
Heat oil in a wok, add the eggplant strips and deep-fry until the outer layer is firm and slightly discolored, then remove from the pan and drain excess oil.
5
Step 5
Leave a small amount of oil in the wok, first stir-fry the portion of onion until fragrant, then add the tomato chunks and stir-fry until a sauce forms.
6
Step 6
Add half a bowl of boiling water and simmer briefly, then season with light soy sauce, sugar, and salt, and add one spoon of tomato sauce.
7
Step 7
Add the fried eggplant strips back to the wok.
8
Step 8
Stir-fry evenly, then drizzle in starch water to thicken the sauce.
9
Step 9
Stir-fry briefly, then remove from the pan and it is ready to serve.
