A classic Cantonese steamed eggplant dish featuring the iconic yuxiang (fish-fragrant) flavor profile with a minced pork sauce. The eggplant is blanched and sliced, steamed until tender, then topped with an aromatic sauce. Simple to prepare yet deeply flavorful.
▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.
1
Trim the stem end from the eggplants. Peel the skin in alternating stripes, removing some but not all of the peel to balance texture and structural integrity.
2
Cut the eggplant into quarters lengthwise and gently remove the soft core.
3
Soak the eggplant quarters in water mixed with rice vinegar for about 10 minutes to remove bitterness. Weight them down with a plate.
4
Dice the red bell pepper into small pieces.
5
Slice the green onions into pieces, separating the white and green parts. Reserve the green parts for garnish and use the whites for stir-frying.
6
Mince the ginger into fine pieces, about 1/2 oz.
7
Mince the fresh red chilies. Add more if you prefer extra spice.
8
Peel the garlic cloves, smash them with the knife blade, and mince finely, about 1/2 oz total.
9
Slice the pork shoulder into long strips, then cut into thin 1/4-inch slices, and mince by turning the pile and chopping.
10
Place the minced pork in a bowl and add cornstarch, water, and light soy sauce. Mix until the cornstarch is fully dissolved and the pork is evenly coated.
11
Prepare the sauce by combining light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and water in a separate bowl. Adjust the taste as needed.
12
Prepare the slurry by mixing cornstarch and water in a separate bowl and set aside.
13
Remove the soaked eggplant from the water and squeeze out excess moisture thoroughly.
14
Slice the eggplant at an angle into 1/2-inch thick pieces.
15
Bring water to a boil in a pot or steamer. Place the eggplant slices on a plate and steam over high heat for about 12 minutes until tender.
16
Once steamed, carefully remove the plate from the steamer and pour out any excess liquid.
17
Heat a clean wok over high heat and add the oil. Once it begins to smoke, add the marinated pork. Let it cook undisturbed for a moment to prevent sticking, then flip.
18
Add the minced garlic, green onion whites, and ginger. Stir-fry together with the pork, using the spatula to break the meat into small crumbles as it cooks.
19
Lower the heat slightly, add the cooking wine for aroma, then pour in the prepared sauce mixture.
20
Add the diced red bell peppers and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add an extra tablespoon of water to compensate for evaporation.
21
Lower the heat to low and slowly add the slurry while continuously stirring to prevent lumping.
22
Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil to finish the sauce.
23
Pour the finished sauce over the steamed eggplant, garnish with the reserved green onion tops, and serve.
PrimedTableBETA
