Yields:
2 Servings
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 Mins
Cook Time:
10 Mins
Total Time:
15 Mins
Okay, I totally made this up after seeing a post of an eggplant dish that someone else ate and just imagined the flavours of the spicy sweet soy sauce. The recipe is a bit of a Chindonesian mash up (Terong Kecap Pedas) and it’s super easy.
I chose to pan fry the eggplant because I’m lazy af and try to avoid washing another pot or pan as far as possible, but by all means steam the eggplant instead. If you steam, you use less oil and the eggplants end up a more uniformed colour, but you lose the caramelisation and the char.
The creamy eggplant matched with the slightly crunchy texture of the spicy sweet soy sauce is so good, and the extra sauce goes great on rice.
If you are not into eggplant, this recipe works fine with tofu as well.
Slice the eggplant lengthwise into thin slices about 8mm thick. Slice the red onion and chillies, and finely chop the garlic.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and make sure the oil is well distributed. Place the eggplant slices in the pan without overlapping. Add a small amount of water (not covering over the eggplant), and put the lid over the pan.
When the water has dried and the pan is making complaining sounds, uncover. Drizzle with another 1 tbsp of oil and carefully turn over the eggplants. Repeat with the small amount of water and cover.
When the pan is totally dry again, the eggplants should be done. Remove them carefully from the pan and use them to make a fancy pattern on your serving dish.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and fry the onions.
When onions become translucent, add the chillies. After about a minute, add the garlic. When the raw smell of the garlic disappears, add 0.5 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine. Turn the stove down to low. Add 1.5 tbsp of soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp of kecap manis, 0.5 tbsp of sesame oil, 1 tbsp of water and mix well.
When the sauce is warmed through, turn the stove off and mix in the spring onions.