Savory and aromatic, with soft, tender eggplant cubes and the spicy fragrance of hot peppers.
A generous ladleful of sauce is poured over the noodles, the eggplant cubes slowly spreading out as a wisp of steam rises straight to the ceiling. Sit down, peel two cloves of garlic, and take a bite of garlic followed by a bite of noodles—at this moment, don't anyone dare disturb me, or I'll get really upset!
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
flour to taste
For the best texture, make the noodles from scratch and add a little alkaline water to the dough for extra chewiness.
Additional Ingredients
pork belly, to taste
1 eggplant
Two small hot green peppers
Use fattier meat for better flavor. Either long or round eggplant works. Choose slightly spicy pointed peppers, otherwise their fragrant aroma won't come through.
Seasonings
Soybean paste, scallion, ginger, and garlic - a small amount of each
Soy sauce and salt, each to taste
Cornstarch, to taste
This dish is simple to make—just adjust the seasonings to your personal taste.
Instructions
Instructions
Preparation
Step 1: Wash the eggplant, do not peel, and cut into 1.5 cm cubes (about 1/2 inch) (Image 2). Cut the hot green peppers into triangular pieces, dice the meat into small pieces, and mince the scallions, ginger, and garlic (Image 3).
② Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the noodles, cook until done, then drain and set aside.
*Do not dice the eggplant too small, or it will easily turn into mush during cooking.
Stir-fry the ground meat until browned and fragrant.
③ Heat the pan and pour in oil, using a bit more than you normally would for stir-frying. When the oil reaches about 60% hot (just starting to shimmer), add the diced meat and stir-fry over medium heat for about 20 seconds. Then add scallions, ginger, garlic, and a little fermented soybean paste, and stir-fry until fragrant (Image 4).
*Use only a small amount of soybean paste, as too much can easily stick to the pan; if you're worried about burning, add the water before adding the soybean paste.
Stir-fried eggplant
④ Next, add the diced eggplant and stir-fry over high heat for half a minute. Push the eggplant to the sides of the wok, exposing the center, then add soy sauce and let it sizzle for aroma (Image 5). Stir-fry for another half minute until the eggplant softens (Image 6).
*Feel free to use a bit more soy sauce; a darker color is fine.
Braised Eggplant
Pour in hot water, then add salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes (Image 7). Finally, add the hot peppers, stir to combine, and cook for another 5 minutes until done.
*This dish should be quite flavorful, so don't skimp on the salt.
*The braising time for the eggplant depends on how soft and tender you want it; the time given here is just a basic guideline.
*When adding the hot peppers to the pan, try to bury them under the eggplant; otherwise, they will steam rather than cook through on top, preventing the flavors from melding and resulting in a less tasty dish.
⑥ Use starch mixed with water to make a moderate amount of slurry (Image 8), then pour it over the cooked noodles and serve.
*The cornstarch slurry doesn't need to be too thick—just slightly viscous is enough, mainly to help the sauce cling to the noodles.
