Spicy Eggplant Strips
This dish comes together with just a quick steam and toss—effortless enough for any night of the week. It's a family favorite that never gets old, loved by kids and elders alike. A true rice killer: one bite and you'll find yourself reaching for another bowl.
Ingredients
eggplant
6
green pepper
1
Thai chili
1
oyster sauce
to taste
garlic
to taste
light soy sauce
to taste
salt
to taste
fennel
to taste
sesame oil
to taste
garlic
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Soak the eggplants in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, then wash. You can also rub them with flour to clean, which helps reduce pesticide residue as much as possible.
2
Step 2
Arrange them in an electric steamer. The eggplants are fairly large, so I used two tiers. Fill the steamer's water tank, close the lid, and steam. Note that this electric steamer does not require preheating—steam is produced within 10 seconds, so it heats up very quickly. Set it to steam for 10 minutes and start. The exact time depends on the size of the eggplants, so adjust as needed.
3
Step 3
Remove the steamed eggplants and set them aside to cool. Soak the green pepper and Thai chili in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, then wash and chop them.
4
Step 4
Peel the garlic, wash it, and mince it (you can either chop it finely or use a garlic press).
5
Step 5
Tear the eggplants into strips. Look at how the steamed eggplants tear apart—just right. Be careful not to oversteam them, or they will release too much water.
6
Step 6
Add an appropriate amount of premium soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, and sesame oil to make a sauce. If you can handle spice, add some chili oil—northerners aren't too fond of spicy food, so one Thai chili is enough.
7
Step 7
Add an appropriate amount of premium soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, and sesame oil to make a sauce. If you can handle spice, add some chili oil—northerners aren't too fond of spicy food, so one Thai chili is enough.
8
Step 8
Add the chopped fennel and Thai chili and mix well.
9
Step 9
Once the sauce is ready, you can toss it with the eggplants or serve it as a dip—whichever you prefer; the former is more convenient. At our house we usually just pour the sauce over the eggplant strips and mix—it's really easy to eat.
