We'll place a steamer rack in our wok, pan, or steamer, and pour enough water to just barely submerge the rack. Set the stove on high heat and bring the water to a boil.

Then we'll wash the eggplants (22 oz) and cut away the stem.

We'll cut 2-inch pieces along the length of the eggplant. To get more even cuts, you can take a freshly cut piece to measure your next cuts with.

Starting with the tail (the side opposite from the stem), slice the pieces length-wise into 4 long pieces.

Plating the eggplants for steaming

Transfer the pieces to a dish for steaming later.

Chef's Tip: There are two special things that my dad does here:

• He places the skin-side down, facing the cores upward so they cook faster.
• He cuts and plates the head of the eggplant last, because the head tends to be thicker and takes longer to cook.

They talk about this a lot more in our video.

Preparing Western eggplants

This recipe is largely the same with larger, thicker eggplants, with these changes:

• The skin tends to be thicker than that of Chinese eggplants, so you can peel away some (not all) of the skin.
• Cut away some of the seeds from the core

Start steaming

Carefully transfer the plate onto the steamer rack, and cover the wok. Steam for 15 minutes.

While we wait for the eggplant to steam for 15 minutes, we’ll start chopping our ingredients. 

We’ll be chopping our fresh shiitake mushrooms (2 oz) and mini sweet peppers into small chunks. Cut the tops off of the peppers, and remove the seeds from the center.

We’ll also be mincing garlic (5 clove), ginger (0.50 oz), scallions (3 piece), dried red chilies and another sweet pepper into fine pieces. 

• We don't have to peel the ginger if we wash it thoroughly!

You can adjust the amount of dried chilies to your liking.

To make it easier for cooking later, my dad put:

• the chunks of mushrooms and sweet peppers on one plate
• the minced ginger, garlic, chilies, and peppers on another plate
• the scallions on a third plate. 

Next, we’ll prepare our Yuxiang sauce by mixing:

• light soy sauce (2 tbsp)​
• dark soy sauce (1 tbsp)
• oyster sauce (2 tbsp)
• vinegar (2 tbsp)
• brown sugar (3 tbsp)
• ground bean sauce (0.50 tbsp)
• cornstarch (2 tsp)
• water (4 tbsp)
• Shaoxing cooking wine (1 tbsp) (optional)

Mix until the sauce is even.

If you have dietary restrictions with oyster sauce, check out our section on alternatives!

Once the eggplants are done steaming, you can tell if they're done by squeezing them. They should be soft and a tad bit squishy, but not mushy.

Pour the eggplants into a colander to drain any excess water.

Next, we’ll dump out the water from the wok, dry it, and reheat the wok on high heat for a few minutes until it’s around 300°F to 350°F. 

Then, we’ll add corn oil (2 tsp) and let that heat up until it’s shimmering, or forming ripples across the surface. 

Once our wok is hot enough, we'll cook in a few stages (at restaurants, with an intense stove and a ton of oil, you can just dump everything in all at once):

• Add the minced chilies and peppers, ginger, and garlic. Cook and stir for about 30 to 45 seconds to release the aromatics.
• Add the mushrooms. Optionally add some of the scallions. Cook and stir for about 20 to 30 seconds. 
• Add the sweet pepper chunks, Cook and stir for about 60 seconds, constantly stirring the wok. 
• Add the sauce, and cook until the sauce is boiling.
• Add and mix the eggplant around with the sauce for about 60 to 90 seconds.
• Add sesame oil (1 tsp) and stir.

Transfer the dish onto a plate, garnish with the scallions, and call your loved ones over!

Time to eat :)