Sticky Chinese Eggplant with Rice

This sticky Chinese eggplant with rice dish is best made with the small and more tender Asian eggplants rather than the larger (equally delicious) Italian ones. If you can't find them that is alright, but there will be a slight textural difference to the dish.

2 small Asian eggplants

1 cup of your favorite hearty greens, roughly chopped ( I used snow pea tips)

1/2 red onion, peeled and sliced into thin half moons

1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger

1 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 1/2 tsps Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp vegetable oil

White pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Hot sauce or chili crisp to taste

Top and tail the eggplants and half them lengthwise. Cross hatch the fleshy part of the eggplant halves.

Place the eggplant halves flesh side down in a steamer and surround them with the greens.

Steam for five to seven minutes, until creamy and tender but still holding their shape. Set aside as you finish up the sauce.

While the eggplant and greens are steaming, heat the oil in a large skillet. As soon as it is shimmering, add the onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring often.

When the onions are tender, lower the heat to very low, and stir in the hoisin, the ketchup, the Worcestershire sauce, the grated ginger, and a splash of water. Stir to combine and cook quickly until the sauce is starting to thicken and bubble at the edges.

Add the steamed eggplant and greens and stir to combine well. Add chili crisp and hot sauce to taste, before serving over white rice.