This dish is very easy and has become a family favourite, so much so as my daughter re-heated leftovers for her lunch the following day she said “you can never cook this enough. I will never get sick of eating this.” So I hope you try it and like it too.
Let me preface this by saying the meat free version is also delicious so don’t be put off if you are vegan, use tofu as an alternative or any vegetarian/vegan mince substitute.
The origins are Vietnamese I believe and over time I’ve adapted a few recipes I’ve seen on the web (often they have a lot more sugar) so my version has ended up like this - it’s quick easy and still packs a flavour punch. You can serve this on regular rice, cauliflower rice or even wrapped in lettuce leaves like San Choy Bow.
You will need:
Approx 4 tbs vegetable or peanut oil
2 large eggplants
1 onion, finely sliced
2 tsp ginger minced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chilli, finely chopped
500g pork mince*
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
Garnish:
1 handful of coriander
1-2 spring onions, sliced diagonally
Chilli oil (optional)
Basmati rice, fresh tomatoes and cucumber, sliced to serve
Add extra veg to reduce the meat component or bulk it up - I often add broccoli, cauliflower or zucchini
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and line a large tray with baking paper
Cut eggplant into large pieces (it will shrink in the oven) around 5 or 6cm and place on the tray. Drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for around 20 minutes until soft, but still holding its shape. When cooked remove from oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tbs peanut oil in a large pan and add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook for around 3 minutes
Add pork mince (or tofu) and cook until brown
Mix sugar and fish sauce in a separate bowl, add to pork and stir through. Once dispersed, stop stirring and allow the pork to start to caramelise on the bottom of the pan, around 2-3 minutes. Once caramelisation occurs, give it a stir and leave it again. for a minute or two Repeat this a couple of times until you see the pork become sticky and sweet.
If using other vegetables (such as broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower) include them at this point and cook for a further 5 minutes allowing those veg to be coated in the caramelised flavours. Finally gently fold in the eggplant and cook for another 2 minutes.
Serve on rice, with a handful of coriander, sliced spring onion and extra chilli if desired. This is a sweet dish so the tomato and cucumber is a beautiful fresh accompaniment.
Enjoy!
