Sweet Chinese-Style Eggplant

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make Chinese-style eggplant? First, get everything ready. Choose firm eggplant with unbroken skin. The bell pepper should be juicy and sweet — mine is red, but any color works. Scrub the vegetables under running water before cutting.

2. Step 2:

   

   Cut the eggplant (I leave the skin on) into medium dice, about 1/2 inch (1 cm).

3. Step 3:

   

   Sprinkle the eggplant with salt, toss, and let it sit for a while. Then rinse it under the tap and squeeze out the water.

4. Step 4:

   

   Cut the bell pepper into strips. Stir-fry it in a skillet with hot sunflower oil, stirring constantly so it doesn't overcook. As soon as it starts to char at the edges, take it off the heat.

5. Step 5:

   

   Transfer the fried pepper to a separate saucepan (mine is tempered glass).

6. Step 6:

   

   Grate the ginger root on a fine grater. You can use just the squeezed juice or add the whole grated root — there's no strict rule for this dish.

7. Step 7:

   

   Fry the eggplant in the same pan with oil until it changes color and turns soft, stirring as it cooks. Then add the fried eggplant to the pepper.

8. Step 8:

   

   In the same pan you used for the pepper and eggplant, make the sauce from the remaining ingredients: first fry the thinly sliced garlic, then add the ginger, soy sauce, honey, and starch. Stir. Finally, thin it out with the water and let it boil for 2 minutes.

9. Step 9:

   

   Pour the sauce over the fried vegetables in the saucepan and simmer everything together over low heat for 7 minutes, stirring.

10. Step 10:

    

    Serve the sweet Chinese-style eggplant hot, right away. That said, it's also excellent cold!