Ingredients
300g
pork mince
500g
silken tofu
1 knob
ginger
2 cloves
garlic
1 small
eggplant
1 tbsp
Sichuan peppercorns
2 tbsp
chilli bean sauce (Doubanjiang)
1 tsp
sesame oil
1 tbsp
maple syrup
2 tbsp
UmamiPapi Chilli Oil
1/2 cup
water
2 tbsp
corn starch and 1/2 cup water for slurry
1 pinch
flaky salt
1 bunch
spring onion
2 tbsp
avocado oil
2 bowls
steamed rice
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius, slice your eggplant, and place skin down on your baking tray, we want to roast these for around 30 minutes or until soft. When cooked, remove then cut into big chunks then set aside.
- Finely slice your ginger and garlic then set aside.
- Carefully slice your tofu into small chunks then set it aside.
- In a small pan over, medium heat, add in your Sichuan peppercorns to toast (around 15 seconds or until fragrant) it’s important we don’t burn these as they turn bitter. Remove your Sichuan peppercorns and add them to a mortar and pestle and grind them to a fine powder then set them aside.
- In a small bowl add your corn starch and water and whisk to make a slurry then set aside.
- Heat up your wide cast iron pan over medium heat.
- Add in your avocado oil.
- Add your ginger to a sauté for around 1 minute, keep it constantly moving to avoid burning.
- Add in your pork mince and turn your heat up high, we want to crisp up and get a nice colour on the pork mice.
- After your pork mince has caramelised, turn your heat down to medium.
- Add in your garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add in your UmamiPapi Chilli Oil & Sichuan pepper and stir to combine.
- Add in your spicy bean sauce & sesame oil and stir to combine.
- Add in your eggplant and tofu and lightly stir trying not to break up the tofu too much.
- Add in your ½ of water and bring to a boil.
- We want to add the corn starch slurry in 2 halves.
- Add in your first ½ and lightly stir.
- Once it starts to thicken add in your other half of the slurry, we are aiming for a slightly runnier consistency of a bolognese.
- Add in your maple syrup and season with salt.
- Finely chop your spring onion tops and garnish.
- Serve over rice.
- Enjoy!
