How to Make Yuxiang Eggplant

yuxiangqiezi

This dish is incredibly appetizing—perfect for becoming a rice-consuming champion.

Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★

Essential Ingredients and Tools

Before each preparation, determine how many servings you wish to make. One serving is sufficient for one person.

Cut the eggplant into strips.
Mince the meat, and finely chop the scallions, ginger, and garlic. Dice the small red chili peppers.
Prepare the Yuxiang sauce: In a bowl, combine salt, MSG, sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, and starch water. Mix well.
Pour 300ml of oil into a pot and heat over low heat (low heat is easier to control). When the oil reaches 70% heat (approximately 40 seconds on low heat, with slight smoke appearing), add the eggplant strips and fry for two minutes. Remove the eggplant when the edges turn slightly yellow. Save the excess oil for stir-frying other dishes later.
Leave 15-30ml of oil in the pot, add the minced meat, and stir-fry until it turns white. Remove and set aside.
Add 15-30ml of oil to the pot, then add the Doubanjiang, white parts of the scallions, ginger, and garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant, then add the cooked minced meat and toss to combine.
Add 80-150ml of water (the water level should reach about 80% of the height of the eggplant). Pour in the eggplant and the prepared sauce. Stir-fry vigorously to allow the flavors to absorb and the sauce to thicken. Finally, add the scallions, toss to mix evenly, and serve.

You can peel the eggplant according to your preference, and you may add more ground meat if desired.
Reference: Detailed Steps for Yuxiang Eggplant

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement while following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull request.