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With rich, creamy eggplant braised in a spicy savory sauce, Mapo Eggplant is a classic Japanese-style Chinese stir-fry.
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Mapo Eggplant

With creamy hunks of eggplant in a savory and spicy miso sauce, my Mapo Eggplant recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner over a steaming bowl of rice.
Course Entree
Cuisine Japanese-Chinese
Keyword eggplant, stir-fry
Level Intermediate
Main Ingredient Pork
Diet Dairy-Free
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 3 servings
Calories 292kcal
Author Marc Matsumoto

Equipment

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup dashi stock
  • 1 tablespoon hatcho miso
  • 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 2 teaspoons potato starch
  • vegetable oil (for frying)
  • 450 grams Japanese eggplant
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 10 grams garlic (grated)
  • 5 grams ginger (grated)
  • 40 grams scallion stems (finely minced)
  • 140 grams ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon rayu (chili oil)
  • scallion greens (chopped for garnish)
Grams + US Cups - US Standard

Instructions

  • Add the ¾ cup dashi stock, 1 tablespoon hatcho miso, 2 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, and 2 teaspoons potato starch to a bowl and mash the miso up to help it dissolve into the sauce.
    ¾ cup dashi stock, 1 tablespoon hatcho miso, 2 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, 2 teaspoons potato starch
    Mixing the sauce for Mapo Eggplant.
  • Start preheating 1 inch of vegetable oil in a heavy pot with high sides to 360°F (180°C). Prepare a wire rack over a metal tray.
    vegetable oil
  • Trim the tops off the 450 grams Japanese eggplant and cut them into an oblique cut by slicing off a piece at a 45-degree angle, rotating the eggplant a quarter turn, and then slicing off another piece at the same angle.
    450 grams Japanese eggplant
    Cutting up Japanese eggplant for Mapo Eggplant.
  • Flash fry the eggplant in batches for 1 minute and then transfer it to the wire rack to drain. Repeat until all of the eggplant is fried.
    Flash-frying eggplant for Mabo Nasu.
  • Lay down 3-4 sheets of paper towels on a work surface, and spread the fried eggplant on top in a single layer. Next, use another 3-4 sheets of paper towels to gently press on the eggplant to squeeze out any excess oil. Be careful, as the eggplant may still be very hot.
    Draining eggplant of excess oil.
  • Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil along with the 10 grams garlic and 5 grams ginger, and stir-fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
    1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 10 grams garlic, 5 grams ginger
    Stir-frying ginger and garlic in a frying pan.
  • Add the minced 40 grams scallion stems and continue stir-frying until they're translucent (another 1 minute).
    40 grams scallion stems
    Stir-frying scallions in a frying pan.
  • Add the 140 grams ground pork and use the side of the spatula to crumble it up. Continue to stir-fry the pork for about 3 minutes or until it's well browned and has released a lot of oil.
    140 grams ground pork
    Stir-frying ground pork for mapo eggplant.
  • Tip the pan a little and use a paper towel to soak up the excess oil as it drains to one side.
    Draining excess fat from ground pork with a paper towel.
  • Add the eggplant to the pan and then give the sauce ingredients a stir before pouring it in.
    Adding mapo sauce to meat and eggplant mixture.
  • Let the sauce cook with the eggplant until it thickens up and it can absorb the sauce flavors (about 3 minutes).
    Braising eggplant in Mapo Tofu sauce.
  • Finish the Mapo Eggplant with 1 tablespoon rayu, (or to taste,) and garnish with scallion greens.
    1 tablespoon rayu, scallion greens

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 809mg | Potassium: 619mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 178IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg