A Singaporean Mum

Today I found an eggplant sitting in the fridge that really needed to be used. Instead of cooking the usual dish, I thought I’d do something same but different. Sometimes, all it takes is changing up the sauce to make familiar ingredients feel new again. I love working with what I have and giving it a little twist, and that’s exactly how this dish came about — comforting, savoury, with just enough punch to keep things interesting.

Here’s how I do it!

Ingredients

300g minced meat

1 eggplant, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tbsp spicy fermented soy beans with chilli

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp Hua Tiao wine

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water)

Oil for cooking

Method

1. Prepare the Eggplant

• Heat oil in a pan or wok over medium heat.

• Pan-fry the eggplant until lightly golden and softened.

• Remove and set aside.

2. Cook the Aromatics

• In the same pan, add a little more oil if needed.

• Add garlic. Stir-fry over low to medium heat until fragrant.

3. Cook the Minced Pork

• Add minced pork to the pan.

• Break it up and stir-fry until the pork changes colour and is cooked through.

• Add fermented black beans, Hua Tiao wine, oyster sauce and dark soy sauce.

• Mix well to coat evenly.

4. Combine & Thicken

• Return eggplant to the pan and toss gently.

• Add cornstarch slurry and stir until the sauce thickens and clings to the ingredients.

5. Serve

• Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

• Serve hot with steamed rice.