Eggplant Graffiti Recipe: A Filling and Delicious Eggplant Dish!
The gooey texture of eggplants may be why many people don’t find eggplant dishes attractive. But eggplants are packed with nutrients and can taste excellent if you know how to prepare them in the right way. The Eggplant Graffiti recipe is such a way to turn eggplants into a filling and delicious meal.
In today’s recipe, I will demonstrate how you can make this recipe in easy steps. Besides, I will list all the necessary ingredients and the nutritional facts of the dish. Let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
Eggplant Graffiti Recipe: Quick Overview
Before you start cooking, here is a sneak peek into the recipe.
| Cuisine: Asian | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 20 minutes | |||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories |
| 2 persons | 10 minutes | 10 minutes | 147 kcal |
Ingredients Need for Eggplant Graffiti Recipe
Here are the ingredients that I use for this recipe. Remember, you can always try some variations to add more flavor to the dish. Check out the ingredients before you start cooking.
Main Ingredients for the Dish
- Graffiti Eggplant: These eggplants are purple and have white stripes on them. They taste almost like fruits. Take about 300g of eggplant for the recipe.
- Minced Meat: I used 40g of minced chicken here. You can also use the same amount of minced pork.
- Ginger: 1tbsp of ginger, finely chopped
- Garlic: 1 tbsp of garlic, finely chopped
- Corn Starch: 1/2 tsp
- Oil: 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil
Ingredients for the Sauce and Seasoning
- Bird’s Eye Chilli: 1 tbsp of bird’s eye chili, finely chopped
- Chili Bean Sauce: I used 1 tbsp of Lee Kum Kee chili bean sauce. You can use any other chili bean sauce of your choice.
- White Pepper: 1/2 (half) tsp of freshly ground white pepper
- Shaoxing Wine: 1 tbsp
- Black Vinegar: 1 tbsp
- Light Soy Sauce: 2 tbsp
- Salt: 1/2 (half) tsp
- Sugar: 1/2 (half) tsp
Ingredients for Garnish
- Spring Onion: 1 or 2 sprigs of fresh spring onion, thinly sliced
Eggplant Graffiti Recipe: Step-by-Step Instructions
Now that you have all the ingredients handy, let’s start making this flavorful dish. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Marinate the Minced Meat
I prefer marinating the meat beforehand because it adds some flavor to the dish. In a small bowl, add a few drops of black vinegar and Shaoxing wine to the minced meat. Mix the ingredients well and let the marinated meat rest for a few minutes.
Step 2: Cut the Eggplant
The reason why I didn’t cut the eggplant first is they get oxidized quickly. As a result, the color of the eggplants can go bad. It is better to cut the eggplants right before you are going to put them in the pan.
Remove the stalk of the eggplants and wash it well. Then, cut the eggplants into halves lengthwise. Place the flat side of the eggplants onto the cutting board and cut them into large chunks. Each piece should be about two inches long.
Step 3: Heat Up the Oil
Place a wok onto the stove on a medium-high heat. Once the wok is hot, add two to three tablespoons of vegetable oil to the wok. Let the oil heat up properly to prevent the eggplants from going soggy.
Step 4: Fry the Eggplants
Transfer the cut eggplants into the wok and start frying them. Continue stirring the eggplants for about one or two minutes. Then, add a few splashes of water to prevent the eggplant from burning.
Cover the wok with a lid and let the eggplant cook for two more minutes. Once you remove the lid, eggplants will turn into a lighter color. Take the pan off the heat.
Step 5: Saute the Meat
Now it’s time to cook the meat. Place another wok onto the stove and add a splash of oil to the wok. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated minced meat to the wok. Keep stirring the meat so that it gets cooked evenly.
While cooking the meat, you should add the chili bean sauce, chopped garlic, and ginger to the wok. Mix all the ingredients well and you will start getting the fragrance. Then, add the bird’s eye chili to the wok.
Step 6: Add the Sauces and Seasonings
Once the meat changes color slightly, you can start adding the sauces and seasonings. Add about 1-2 tbsp of light soy sauce, 1 tbsp of black vinegar, and 1 tbsp of Shaoxing wine. Give everything a little stir to incorporate the sauces.
Then, add 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of sugar, and sprinkle some freshly ground white pepper. Keep cooking for 1-2 more minutes.
Step 7: Add the Slurry
Mix 1-2 tsp of cornstarch with water in a small bowl to make the slurry. It should not be too thick. Pour the slurry into the wok and keep cooking until the sauce thickens up.
Step 8: Put the Eggplants Back
Once the sauce is ready, add the fried eggplants to the sauce. Stir it gently so that the eggplant doesn’t break. You can add half of the spring onion in this step to enhance the flavor profile. After one minute of adding the eggplants, you should take the wok off the heat.
Step 9: Your Dish Is Ready to Serve
Plate the eggplant graffiti and garnish it with the remaining half of the spring onion. This delicious dish can be combined with protein dishes, such as meat fish, and rice dishes.
Nutrition Facts of Eggplant Graffiti Recipe
I have compiled the nutrition facts of the eggplant graffiti recipe to help you count the calorie intake and understand its impact on your health. Check the following list out.
- Total Carbohydrates: 18g
- Protein: 4.2g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 9g
- Total Sugar: 9g
- Total Fat: 8.2g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 5.5g
- Sodium: 257mg
- Potassium: 229mg
- Vitamin A: 23IU
- Vitamin C: 2.2mg
- Calcium: 9mg
- Folate: 22µg
Eggplant Graffiti Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- I prefer marinating the meat beforehand because it adds some flavor to the dish. In a small bowl, add a few drops of black vinegar and Shaoxing wine to the minced meat. Mix the ingredients well and let the marinated meat rest for a few minutes.
- The reason why I didn’t cut the eggplant first is they get oxidized quickly. As a result, the color of the eggplants can go bad. It is better to cut the eggplants right before you are going to put them in the pan.
- Remove the stalk of the eggplants and wash it well. Then, cut the eggplants into halves lengthwise. Place the flat side of the eggplants onto the cutting board and cut them into large chunks. Each piece should be about two inches long.
- Place a wok onto the stove on a medium-high heat. Once the wok is hot, add two to three tablespoons of vegetable oil to the wok. Let the oil heat up properly to prevent the eggplants from going soggy.
- Transfer the cut eggplants into the wok and start frying them. Continue stirring the eggplants for about one or two minutes. Then, add a few splashes of water to prevent the eggplant from burning.
- Cover the wok with a lid and let the eggplant cook for two more minutes. Once you remove the lid, eggplants will turn into a lighter color. Take the pan off the heat.
- Now it’s time to cook the meat. Place another wok onto the stove and add a splash of oil to the wok. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated minced meat to the wok. Keep stirring the meat so that it gets cooked evenly.
- While cooking the meat, you should add the chili bean sauce, chopped garlic, and ginger to the wok. Mix all the ingredients well and you will start getting the fragrance. Then, add the bird’s eye chili to the wok.
- Once the meat changes color slightly, you can start adding the sauces and seasonings. Add about 1-2 tbsp of light soy sauce, 1 tbsp of black vinegar, and 1 tbsp of Shaoxing wine. Give everything a little stir to incorporate the sauces.
- Then, add 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of sugar, and sprinkle some freshly ground white pepper. Keep cooking for 1-2 more minutes.
- Mix 1-2 tsp of cornstarch with water in a small bowl to make the slurry. It should not be too thick. Pour the slurry into the wok and keep cooking until the sauce thickens up.
- Once the sauce is ready, add the fried eggplants to the sauce. Stir it gently so that the eggplant doesn’t break. You can add half of the spring onion in this step to enhance the flavor profile. After one minute of adding the eggplants, you should take the wok off the heat.
- Plate the eggplant graffiti and garnish it with the remaining half of the spring onion. This delicious dish can be combined with protein dishes, such as meat fish, and rice dishes.
FAQs
Even though the eggplant graffiti recipe is tasty and easy to make, you should know the answers to some commonly asked questions about it. Here you go.
Q: Who can eat Eggplant Graffiti?
Eggplant Graffiti is a suitable dish for almost everyone except for who have allergies to eggplants. Diabetic persons should also avoid the recipe.
Q: Can Eggplant Graffiti increase allergy?
Eggplant has a little histamine that might cause allergic symptoms. But as the amount of histamine in eggplant is very low, it won’t trigger an allergic reaction in everyone. If you have a higher allergy level, you might face sneezing or other symptoms.
Q: Where did graffiti eggplant come from?
The graffiti eggplant has a Mediterranean origin. It is called graffiti eggplant because of the white stripes on it.
Q: What does the inside of a graffiti eggplant look like?
The inside of a graffiti eggplant is pretty similar to regular eggplants in terms of texture. But the color of these eggplants is a bit brighter than regular eggplants.
Conclusion
Graffiti Eggplant is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes. This Eggplant Graffiti recipe includes a bit of minced meat, garlic, ginger, and spicy chili to give it some heat. On the other side, the sugar balances some of the heat.
The vinegar, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine give this dish a distinct fragrance and taste. As this dish takes a little preparation and cooking time, you can make it yourself anytime. Try this variation of eggplant to end up with a refreshing meal.
