Deep-fried and stir-fried eggplant strips

Deep-fried and stir-fried eggplant strips

　　Deep-fried and stir-fried eggplant strips

　　　Main ingredient: 300g tender eggplant.

　　Garnishes: 10g hot pepper, 10g carrot, half an egg, 75g wet starch, 750g salad oil.

　　Seasonings: 5g iodized salt, 3g monosodium glutamate, 5g soy sauce, 20g sugar, 10g vinegar, 3g each of scallion, ginger, garlic, and 3g cilantro.

　　Preparation:

　　(1) Remove the stem from the eggplant, wash and peel it, then cut into 4cm-long and 1cm-square strips. Dip in beaten egg and wet starch to coat evenly.

　　(2) Julienne the scallion, ginger, and garlic; slice the hot pepper and carrot into strips; cut cilantro into 1-inch sections. Mix soy sauce, salt, MSG, sugar, and vinegar in a bowl to make the sauce.

　　(3) Heat oil in a wok to 60–70% heat, add the eggplant strips one by one, deep-fry until golden brown, then drain and set aside.

　　(4) Heat some base oil in the wok, add scallion, ginger, garlic, hot pepper strips, and carrot strips. Then add the fried eggplant strips and cilantro, quickly pour in the prepared sauce, stir-fry a few times, and serve. Key: The eggplant strips must be fried until firm to achieve a crispy texture. When adding the sauce, stir quickly for the best taste.