Northeastern Homemade Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

The ground meat has a fat-to-lean ratio of 3:7. After mixing it with water infused with scallions, ginger, and peppercorns until it becomes sticky, don't discard the scallions, ginger, and peppercorns; they will be used later for stir-frying.

I used small eggplants, which are easier to stew until soft and tender.

The ratio of shepherd's purse/bok choy to minced meat is almost 1:1. I like meat, so I add less vegetables. I add a handful of chives to enhance the flavor, and a spoonful of five-spice powder to remove any fishy smell. Just mix it like you would for dumpling filling. Add salt and oyster sauce as needed, not too much, because the broth will add saltiness later.

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and stuff it with as much minced meat as possible. Before arranging the eggplant, sauté the remaining scallion, ginger, and peppercorn water in a pan, then add water, soy sauce, and beer to season. Once the broth is ready, arrange the eggplant in the pan. Simmer.

The amount of broth should be adjusted according to the size of your pot and the eggplant. In a pot where the broth doesn't easily reduce, the broth should only cover half of the eggplant. In a pot where the broth reduces easily, the broth should completely cover the eggplant. After bringing it to a boil over high heat, adjust the heat according to the amount of broth. Simmer over low heat until the eggplant is soft and tender, then turn up the heat to reduce the broth.

It wasn't very pretty when plated, but it smelled amazing and made me want to eat more rice!

Absolutely stunning!!!