Adapted from Barbara Tropp’s version of the Shanghai dish
In Chinese recipes, strange should be understood as exotic or exciting, not weird.
Ingredients
1 pound Asian eggplant
3- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbl of ginger (about a walnut size piece of the root), minced
1 or 2 scallions, using both the white and fresh green, finely chopped
2-3 tbl soy sauce
1-2 tbl brown sugar
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbl hot water
¼ to ½ tsp dried red chili flakes
fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
red or green Thai chili peppers, sliced into thin rounds (optional)
Instructions
Cook Asian eggplants using the basic preparation and set aside. Sauté the minced garlic, ginger, and scallion until soft and fragrant. Add in the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, water and dry chili flakes. Let the sauce bubble for a minute or two. Add the reserved eggplant and toss gently. Top with cilantro and the optional fresh Thai chilies. This dish is good hot, room temperature, or cold.