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.
How to make Steamed Lantern from eggplant
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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.
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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.
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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. -
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. -
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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How to Make Delicious and Unique Eggplant Steamed Lanterns for the Mid-Autumn Festival
