Stuffed Eggplant with Vegan Pork
This stuffed eggplant with vegan pork recipe is delicious that was braised in a flavorful bean sauce. Inspired by the popular Hakka Yong Tau Foo (stuffed tofu), this dish is sure to whet your appetite. It's best served with a warm bowl of rice for a tasty meal.
Prep Time45 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Malaysian
Keyword: comfortfood, Eggplant, vegan
Servings: 4
Author: woonheng
Sauce (separated - see instructions)
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon chopped red jalapeños
- a handful of chopped scallions
- sprinkles of toasted sesame seeds
Prepare the stuffing
Empty the OmniPork Ground in a bowl. Then, add the carrot, ginger juice, soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, pepper, sesame oil, and mix everything together until well-combined. The paste should look thick and sticky.
Prepare the eggplant
Wash the eggplant and pat dry with a towel. Place an eggplant on a chopping board, then trim off the end. Cut eggplant crosswise into 2-inch sections. You may get 3 or 4 logs depending on the length of your eggplant. Now, stand a log tall and halve it vertically. Lay the flat surface down with the skin side facing you.
Arrange two fork handles to secure the eggplant as a guide so you don't cut through it.
Using a sharp knife, make 4-5 slits (5mm each). Repeat with the remaining eggplants. I got about 22 eggplant halves.
Fill a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Rub the eggplant's slit generously with cornstarch. Using the spoon handle or butter knife, stuff the opening with the mixture, pushing gently to adhere. Smooth out the top and transfer to a baking pan. Repeat until all eggplants are stuffed and transfer them to a baking sheet pan. Add a tablespoon of cornstarch in a fine-mesh sieve. Dust the eggplant with cornstarch.
Cook the eggplant
To cook the eggplant, add a thin layer of oil to cover a large non-stick skillet bottom (I used 12").
Arrange the eggplant in the pan in one single layer, stuffed side facing up. I cook mine in 2 separate batches. Pan-fry over medium-low heat until the bottom turns slightly brownish. Carefully flip the eggplant and pan-fry this side until a thin crust forms, about 3-5 minutes.
Flip the eggplant again so the stuffed side faces up. Season with 1 tablespoon of each (I half the sauce since I cook mine in 2 batches): light soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, and doubanjiang. Then, slowly add in 1½ cups of water. Bring it to a boil and cover the pan with a lid and braise for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until the flavors meld and the eggplant is fully cooked through.
While waiting, mix 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water to make a slurry.
Uncover and swirl in the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Transfer a plate. Repeat the same cooking step with the remaining eggplant if cooking in 2 batches. Garnish with chopped red jalapeños, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm with rice.
- Please adjust the sauce's saltiness level if you plan to serve this dish as-is.
- I made this recipe in 2 batches due to the size of my pan. If you have a large pan, feel free to mix the sauce in a bowl and add them while cooking. Always taste test as some fermented bean sauce brand is saltier than others.
- Double the amount of cornstarch slurry if you are able to cook this dish in one pan.
Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means if you decide to purchase through my link I will receive a small commission for qualified purchases. Some products shown may have different brands from Amazon that I recommend as a suggestion. The links are embedded in the ingredient list. Please note that these sauces generally have a lower price at the store.