Soy-glazed grilled Eggplant

Hongshao eggplants are a simple yet addictive dish that can be prepared in under 20 minutes.

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Introduction

Sometimes we need a quick and easy preparation to integrate into a more complex dish, or we just need to improvise a bowl and run out of time.

In today’s brief post, we see a simple yet flavorful dish for your bowls: soy-glazed Chinese eggplants.

Also known as hongshao eggplants, the term refers to the “red cooking” technique consisting of quickly stewing or braising a variety of meats or vegetables with soy sauce.

I feel there is no need for a “What does it taste like?” section, given the simplicity of the recipe, I’ll just leave it up to you to try it out. And well, if you do try, let us know in the comments what it really tastes like - ◡ -

Recipe

Ingredients

I suggest using Chinese eggplant for this recipe, as they are less bitter and a bit sweeter, though you can use any standard eggplant or even stretch this to other vegetables like zucchini or potatoes if you feel wild.

Chinese eggplant

Also, originally, Chinese recipes use a more traditional Shaoxing wine instead of Japanese mirin. Forgive me for making an unorthodox fusion between two kitchens, and feel free to use Shaoxing for a conventional version.

• 1 eggplant

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp cornstarch

• 2 tbsp sesame oil

• Aromatics & Sauce

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 “coin” of ginger, minced

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce (I use half light and half tamari)

  • 1 tbsp mirin

  • 1 tsp sugar

• To thicken

  • 1 tbsp water

  • 1 tsp cornstarch

Preparation

1. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Stir to dissolve and set aside.

2. In another bowl, combine the water and 1 tsp of cornstarch. Stir to dissolve and set aside.

3. Cut the eggplant diagonally into 2-3 cm pieces.

4. Break and stir the egg in a bowl. Add the eggplant and mix until well covered.

5. Add in 1 tbsp of cornstarch and mix again until well coated.

6. Heat a pan, add the sesame oil, and bring in the eggplant. Cook until they get a slightly golden hue, then remove and place aside on a paper towel to dry up.

   1. Another option is to completely deep fry the eggplants in this step.

7. Add the minced garlic and ginger to the hot pan and cook until fragrant for about a minute.

8. Add the soy sauce mix from point 1 to the pan. Once it starts simmering, after a few seconds, combine the cornstarch and water mix from point 2.

9. When the liquid begins thickening, after a few seconds, add back in the eggplants. Stir until well covered with the sauce.

10. Remove from heat and enjoy.

Mix with the eggs

Add the cornstarch

Fry in a pan

Final glaze

How to use it

Once the sauce is completely attached to all the slices, add a few pieces as a topping for ramen, that’s it!

Apart from ramen, Chinese eggplants work extraordinarily well on a steamed rice bowl for a quick and easy dish.

After cooking, optionally sprinkle with sesame seeds and top with thin-cut spring onions to enhance flavors. Also, if you like spicy food, this recipe pairs well with thin-cut fresh green or red chili.

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Notes & Storage

This dish is much better appreciated when you eat it right after cooking it. Anyway, if you need to store it longer, it can go up for a couple of days in the fridge, making sure to keep it in an airtight container. Consistency, though, will degrade pretty quickly, so consider making a ten-minute space for cooking eggplants right before serving your bowl. You won’t regret the result.

This dish is extremely simple, yet extremely tasty. Wanna level it up? Add a touch of five spices powder blend with the garlic and ginger before adding the soy sauce!

— The Ramen Bowl - ◡ -

Hongshao eggplants on steamed rice

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🍜 The Ramen Bowl is going on vacation!

Hello from Filippo (writer) and Bowly, the newsletter’s little Mascotte - ◡ -

Today’s post will be followed by a 4 weeks break during the whole month of August.

As I will not publish any posts, you can still expect a few notes and some activity on Instagram. It won’t be total silence!

This time is needed for me to re-calibrate the target of the newsletter. New formats are coming (stay tuned!), and new summer content is also at the door, along with a few end-to-end complete ramen recipes to be expected this fall.

If everything goes well, I plan to organize a few pop-up ramen dinners at home. Would you be interested in joining? Let me know by inboxing me at info.theramenbowl@gmail.com! More info will come later this year.

For the ones of you into cooking, I’m also planning to host a processing/preparation party!

Since it’s vacation time for a lot of people, I wish a great time to all my readers… See you on Wednesday 6th of September!