How to choose fresh ingredients

Choose pork (you can buy pre-ground or chop it yourself)

First, you must choose fresh meat. The color of good meat is bright pink, not too red or too pale. Pork that is pale, has a greenish tint, and smells bad has gone bad, so you should not choose this type of meat.
Pork that is firm and has high elasticity is good meat. You can test it by pressing your finger into the meat; if it bounces back immediately, is not slimy, and does not ooze liquid, it’s good.
You should choose pork with some lean and some fat to ensure your dish is not too dry and does not have too much fatty taste.

Choose eggplant

You should choose eggplants that have intact skin, are shiny, smooth, and uniformly colored.
When you pick them up, they should feel solid, not too light; a gentle press should not be too hard, and if no liquid oozes out, you can buy them.
Choose those with the cap still attached at the top; if the cap and skin are connected, the eggplant is still fresh.
You can gently press on the eggplant with your hand; if you see an imprint left on the skin, it is ripe.

Ingredients for steamed lantern dish from eggplant

How to make Steamed Lantern from eggplant

1

Marinate the meat

Put the pork into a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of wine, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of ginger, and 1 teaspoon of pepper, mix well, then marinate for about 10 minutes for the meat to absorb the seasoning.
2
Prepare the eggplant

Wash the eggplant thoroughly, use a knife to cut it into 4 pieces about 10 cm thick.

Then cut it in half and use 2 skewers to press the bottom, use a knife to cut thin slices about 1 cm without separating the eggplant pieces as shown in the picture below.
Tip to prepare eggplant without browning when not cooking immediately
- After buying eggplant, cut it and soak it in a bowl of cold water containing a mixture of salt and lemon juice or vinegar.
- Use a strainer to press down to keep the eggplant completely submerged in the water and wait until you’re ready to cook, then take it out.
3

Stuff the meat

Use a spoon to take a sufficient amount of filling, carefully stuff it into the eggplant piece so that the eggplant does not break apart and the filling stays neatly inside the eggplant.

Tip: After stuffing the filling, you can brush a little oil evenly on the outside of the eggplant, this method helps the eggplant to be crispier when frying and prevents the filling from spilling out.
4

Steaming Eggplant

You put 2 bowls of water for steaming into the pot, turn the heat to medium, and steam the eggplant for about 7 minutes.

Tip: If you don’t have a steamer, you can use a rice cooker with a steaming tray to steam as well.
5

Making the Sauce

You heat a pan on the stove, wait until it’s hot, then add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water.

You turn the heat to medium and stir until the sauce thickens slightly, then turn off the heat.

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Cooking time: 20 minutes
Level: Easy

Tags: eggplant How to make steamed eggplant lanterns into the kitchen Mid-Autumn Festival steamed eggplant

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TasteT

I am a food writer specializing in Vietnamese cuisine, sharing traditional recipes, cooking tips, and the culture behind every dish. My goal is to bring the authentic flavors of Vietnam to your kitchen.