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Category: dinner

Ingredients

  • 2 (red) chiles, such as cayenne, Fresno, or jalapeño
  • 1 Tbsp. cookin’ honey
  • 3 medium Japanese or Chinese eggplants (about 12 oz. total)
  • 1 lb. ground pork, ground chicken, tempeh crumbles, or crumbled tofu
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
  • ½ cup basil leaves, plus more for serving
  • 2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp. soy sauce (or tamari)

Directions

  1. Consider starting some rice to eat along with this.
  2. Finely chop chiles and combine into a small bowl with 1 Tbsp honey and a pinch of salt.
  3. Slice eggplants crosswise into 3-inch pieces, then quarter lengthwise. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in skillet, then cook eggplant until browned and crisp-tender (6-8 minutes, toss occasionally). Add more oil as necessary. Transfer to a plate.
  4. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in skillet, then add all your pork. Crumble into small pieces and brown. Add garlic and sesame seeds and cook until very fragrant. Add 1/2 cup basil leaves and toss until wilted, 2-3 minutes.
  5. Stir vinegar and tamari into chile mixture made in step 1. Return eggplant to skillet and add half the sauce. Combine and cook until eggplant is tender – just 1-2 minutes. Add salt as needed.
  6. Plate and garnish with more sauce and some fresh basil.

Tags: pork / eggplant / bon-appetit / asian-ish / diana