{"id":25924,"date":"2020-08-17T13:26:35","date_gmt":"2020-08-17T17:26:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/?p=25924"},"modified":"2024-12-26T13:22:47","modified_gmt":"2024-12-26T18:22:47","slug":"mapo-eggplant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/mapo-eggplant\/","title":{"rendered":"Mapo Eggplant (\u9ebb\u5a46\u8304\u5b50)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Full of flavor, mapo eggplant is richly savory, spicy, and fragrant, not to mention quick and easy for any night you want a hearty and healthy Chinese dish. {Vegan-Adaptable}<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sichuan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of my favorite dishes is mapo tofu<\/a>, but I absolutely love making that same mapo sauce to go with eggplant for mapo eggplant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll admit, mapo eggplant is not the prettiest dish out there but it is full of flavor and uses a classic mapo sauce that envelops the tender eggplant in a savory, spicy, and fragrant way. Don\u2019t let the ingredient list scare you off\u2026 You likely have most of it in your pantry and it really takes no time at all to make. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the perfect one-bowl dinner. Mapo eggplant is wonderful over hot steamed rice or even atop noodles. It\u2019s that sauce. It makes everything good!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mapo<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Doubanjiang<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A crucial aspect of authentic tasting mapo sauce is doubanjiang<\/a>, a spicy fermented bean paste. You can\u2019t skip this because it\u2019s what makes the mapo sauce. It\u2019s got a strong fermented taste that\u2019s very salty and spicy. Depending on the brand, it can vary. If you can find it, look for Pixian Broad Bean Paste<\/a> which is my personal favorite. You\u2019ll find it at your local Asian supermarket or on Amazon<\/a>. If you are looking for a premium product, check out the 3-Year Fermented Pixian Douanjiang<\/a> from The Mala Market. It\u2019s made by hand in small batches using the traditional method, and it has a deeper and richer flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Douanjiang\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sichuan peppercorns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sichuan peppercorns are another key element in any mapo sauce. These are a bit citrusy and incredibly aromatic, and they have a numbing effect when you bite into them. I highly recommend the Sichuan peppercorns from The Mala Market<\/a>, which are some of the freshest I have found anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Aromatics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A great mapo eggplant uses fresh ginger, garlic, and green onions as the aromatics that give it plenty of fragrance and flavor. You can skip one of them if you don\u2019t have them all, and simply increase the amount of the aromatics you do have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chinese<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vegetarian & vegan adaptable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While this mapo eggplant recipe calls for ground meat (be it pork, beef, chicken or turkey), you can leave it out for a vegetarian or vegan meal. I did use chicken stock but you can replace that with vegetable broth or even water to make it friendly for meatless meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are going in the meatless direction though, I recommend replacing the meat with 1\/2 lb (225 g) chopped mushrooms to give it more dimension and a meaty texture without using any meat. Don\u2019t like mushrooms? Then just leave them out. It will still taste amazing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooking process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re ready to cook, your table should have the ingredients below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ingredients<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Saute the Sichuan peppercorns in oil to infuse the oil\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Brown the ground meat and doubanjiang<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Break apart the ground meat. Do not overcook<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Add the aromatics<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Add the eggplant, broth, and rest of the seasonings<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Cook until the eggplant turns tender\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Serve!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    \"Mapo<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Once you try the dish, you\u2019ll be surprised how easy it is to cook it and how addictive it tastes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Grab some fresh eggplant and try mapo eggplant for dinner tonight. You\u2019ll have it done faster than delivery would take to arrive!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Chinese<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Want to learn more about Chinese Cooking?<\/strong> Sign up my newsletter<\/a> to receive the 5-Day Chinese Cooking Crash Course and recipe update!<\/p>\n\n\n

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    Chinese Cooking Made Easy<\/h2>

    Are you new to this website? This free email series is a great place to start. I\u2019ll walk you through a few of my most popular recipes and show you how and why they work. You\u2019ll quickly start to cook better Chinese food in your own kitchen.<\/p>\n

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    Mapo Eggplant (\u9ebb\u5a46\u8304\u5b50)<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t
    By <\/span>Maggie Zhu<\/a><\/span><\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t