Sesame chicken with sweet and sour eggplant and carrots

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 large eggplant(s)
• 1 tsp salt
• 250 g chicken fillet(s)
• 2 tsp, heaped flour
• n. B. Pfeffer
• 1 m.-sized carrot(s)
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey, liquid
• 1 tsp, leveled ginger powder
• 100 ml chicken broth
• 1 dash of sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 3 tbsp oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

Prepare the eggplant by removing the green stem and cutting it into cubes about 2 cm long. Place the cubes in a sieve over a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and let stand for about 1 hour. The salt draws out the water from the eggplant, so it doesn’t absorb as much oil during frying and therefore doesn’t become as mushy. Rinse the chicken fillet, pat dry, and cut into strips. Place in a bowl. Sprinkle with pepper and 1 teaspoon of flour, and mix everything well. Peel the carrot, quarter it lengthwise, and cut into small pieces. Peel and finely dice the onion. Peel the garlic and finely chop or press it. After the eggplant has drained some of the water, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour over it and mix. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok and fry the chicken briefly and quickly. Remove the chicken and set aside in a bowl. Add another 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok and heat it up, then add the floured eggplant cubes. Fry evenly over medium heat, stirring or tossing frequently, for about 3-4 minutes until the cubes take on some color. For larger portions, fry in batches at a time. Remove the fried eggplant cubes and add them to the dish with the fried meat. Add the remaining oil to the wok, heat it up, and sauté the onions, garlic, and carrots over medium heat. Deglaze with soy sauce and apple cider vinegar, and add the honey and ginger powder. Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then return the meat and eggplant cubes to the wok and season with a dash of sesame oil. Heat everything for another 3 minutes, then season with pepper. In the meantime, toast the sesame seeds in a pan without fat over medium heat until golden brown. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the dish to serve. I served it with grainy rice.