Should I use bean paste or tomato sauce for braised eggplant? Which sauce should I use to make braised eggplant delicious?

We all know that braised eggplant is a common home-cooked dish. It tastes fresh and delicious. Many people will make braised eggplant at home. The method of braised eggplant is very particular, especially the choice of ingredients and condiments. So should we use bean paste or tomato sauce for braised eggplant? Let's take a closer look!

Should I use bean paste or tomato sauce when stewing eggplant?

Braised eggplant can be fried with bean paste or tomato sauce, depending on personal method and taste preference.

The seasoning depends on personal preference, such as fish sauce, salty and fresh flavor, bean paste, minced meat, beans, etc. It’s up to you to decide. Just taste it before serving.

The methods of making braised eggplant vary from person to person, but the essence remains the same. If you want to make the braised eggplant delicious, the basic steps are essential, and tomatoes must be added as a companion. If you can tolerate spicy food, you can also add chili peppers, which have a slightly spicy taste and will make the braised eggplant taste richer and more diverse.

Braised eggplant recipe

1. Peel the eggplant and cut it into dice. Add a small amount of water and stir evenly. Add starch to coat the entire surface of the eggplant.

Note: Peel both long and round eggplants. Add a little water, just enough to moisten the surface of the eggplant.

2. Wash the green peppers and tomatoes, cut them into small pieces and set aside

3. Add salad oil to the pot, when the oil temperature reaches 6-7 layers, add the eggplant and fry until the surface becomes hard, then turn to low heat and fry slowly until the surface turns slightly yellow, finally add the green pepper and tomato cubes and fry slightly before removing from the pot and controlling the oil.

Note: The oil temperature for frying eggplants should be high. Put the eggplants in when the oil is slightly smoking. Turn to low heat after the eggplants are shaped.

4. Add a little salad oil to the pot, add chopped green onion and minced ginger, then add rice vinegar, half a spoon of water, MSG, chicken essence, sugar, light soy sauce for seasoning, dark soy sauce for coloring, bring to a boil over high heat, add water starch to thicken after all the seasonings are melted. Finally, add the fried eggplant and minced garlic, stir-fry evenly and serve.

Note: Thicken the sauce thinly and add it in small amounts several times. Add the minced garlic last.

Tips for Braised Eggplant

1. Adding water to the cut eggplant pieces is to allow them to hang on to the starch.

2. When frying eggplants, you must use high temperature. This will allow the eggplant's exterior to take shape quickly and reduce the amount of oil absorbed by the eggplant. Finally, turn to low heat so that the inside of the eggplant can be slowly fried through and cooked, achieving the effect of being crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

3. To prepare the soup, the eggplants and other ingredients have all been fried, and you just need to let the soup coat the surface.

4. Add the minced garlic last, so that the garlic aroma can be fully released, making it more delicious when eaten.