This vibrant Korean-Chinese dish features crispy battered eggplant stuffed with seasoned pork, twice-fried for a crunchy bite. It’s coated in a rich, sweet-and-spicy sauce made with ketchup, doubanjiang, and oyster sauce. Served hot, it delivers bold flavors with a perfect balance of sweetness, heat, and satisfying umami depth.

Try this recipe from W Table.

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggplants
  • 100 grams ground pork
  • 1 green chili pepper
  • 1 dried red chili pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 15 grams carrot (about 1/8 carrot)
  • 1/3 stalk green onion
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • A pinch of salt
  • Cooking oil as needed

Pork Seasoning Ingredients:

  • 1/2 tablespoon cooking wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • A pinch of ginger powder
  • A pinch of salt
  • A pinch of black pepper

Batter Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup tempura flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup cold water

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon doubanjiang (spicy bean paste)
  • 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons corn syrup
  • 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 cup water

Thickening Mixture Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

(Serves 2 to 3)

Instructions:

Marinate the ground pork with the pork seasoning ingredients for about 10 minutes.

Slice the eggplants diagonally into 2-centimeter thick pieces and make a cut in the center of each slice. Sprinkle lightly with salt to season. Finely chop the green chili pepper, green onion, carrot, dried red chili pepper and garlic.

In a bowl, mix the sauce ingredients until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the thickening mixture ingredients and set aside.

Dust the outside and the cut area of each eggplant piece with cornstarch, then stuff the pork mixture into the cut.

In a mixing bowl, prepare the batter by combining the batter ingredients. Coat each eggplant piece with cornstarch and then with the batter. Fry at 170 degrees Celsius until golden brown, then fry again over high heat for extra crispiness.

In a pot, heat a small amount of oil and stir-fry the minced garlic, green onion, and dried red chili pepper. Add the carrot and green chili pepper, and then add the sauce mixture, bringing it to a boil. Stir in the thickening mixture until the sauce becomes slightly thickened, then remove from heat. Serve the fried eggplant on a plate and pour the sauce over the top.

[Source: W table]