Kitchen Recipe Collection
Stuffed Eggplant (Yong Tau Foo)
A Hakka classic widely eaten as a dim sum snack. Thick slices of Chinese eggplant stuffed with a savory shrimp and pork paste, pan-fried, and braised in a dark garlic sauce.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 2 long Chinese eggplants
- Filling: 150g shrimp (peeled), 100g ground pork, 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp cornstarch
- Sauce: 2 cloves garlic (minced), 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 cup chicken broth
- Cornstarch (for dusting)
- Oil for pan-frying
Equipment
- Food processor
- Large flat pan or wok
Instructions
- 1
Make Paste
In a food processor, pulse the shrimp until it becomes a sticky paste. Mix it thoroughly by hand with the ground pork, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Whip in one direction until very sticky.
- 2
Cut Eggplant
Cut the eggplant on a diagonal into 1-inch thick slices. Cut a slit into the side of each slice to create a 'pocket', but do not cut all the way through.
- 3
Dust with Starch
Open the pocket of each eggplant slice and dust the inside lightly with cornstarch. This acts as a glue so the meat doesn't fall out.
- 4
Stuff
Use a butter knife to stuff a generous amount of the shrimp/pork paste into each eggplant pocket, smoothing the exposed edge.
- 5
Heat Pan
Heat oil in a large flat pan over medium heat.
- 6
Pan-fry Meat Side
Place the stuffed eggplants in the pan, meat-side down first (if any meat is exposed on the flat side). Otherwise, just fry them flat.
- 7
Sear Both Sides
Fry for 3-4 minutes per side until the eggplant is golden and blistered, and the meat is browned.
- 8
Make Sauce
In a bowl, mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and chicken broth.
- 9
Aromatics
Push the eggplants to the side of the pan. Add the minced garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
- 10
Braise
Pour the sauce mixture into the pan. Cover and let it braise on low heat for 5 minutes. The eggplant will become meltingly soft and absorb the sauce.
- 11
Thicken
Remove the lid. If the sauce is too thin, stir in a tiny bit of cornstarch slurry and let it bubble until thick.
- 12
Serve
Serve hot, garnished with scallions.
Cooking Tips
- Whipping the shrimp and pork paste vigorously is essential; it creates a bouncy, cohesive texture that stays inside the vegetable.
- The eggplant acts like a sponge, soaking up both the frying oil and the braising liquid, making it incredibly flavorful.
Variations
- Stuffed Tofu/Peppers: The Hakka dish 'Yong Tau Foo' usually features this same meat paste stuffed into tofu, green bell peppers, and bitter melon alongside the eggplant.
Nutrition Estimate
220 calories · 14g protein · 12g carbs · 12g fat · 4g fiber per serving
