Spicy eggplant pan alla Coco Loco

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 20 g mung bean sprouts
• 250 g spherical eggplant(s), purple
• 50 g pineapple pieces (can)
• 30 g onion(s), red, small
• 2 medium-sized garlic cloves
• 10 g ginger
• 2 Pepper, green, long, mild to medium hot
• 1 liter of frying oil
• 40 g pineapple juice (can)
• 20 g orange juice
• 1 tbsp bean paste (with black beans, hot
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, dark, mild
• 1 tbsp soy sauce, light
• 1 tsp, leveled tapioca flour
• 1 tbsp rice wine, dark, spicy-mild
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• e.g. chicken broth powder or salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

An exotic, vegetarian side dish that goes well with many dishes. Recipe from North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

First: For the required protective bath, dissolve 2 teaspoons of citric acid (crystalline), or alternatively 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, in 400g of water. Sort the mung bean sprouts, rinse them, and drain well in a sieve. For the vegetables, cut off the top and bottom ends of the washed spherical eggplants and peel them. Cut them crosswise into approximately 12mm thick slices and immediately add them to the protective bath. Set aside the pineapple chunks, strained and ready. Cut off both ends of the onions and garlic cloves, peel them, and cut them crosswise into thin slices. Cut the washed and peeled ginger crosswise into thin slices and chop them. Cut the washed chili peppers diagonally into approximately 6mm thick slices. Leave the seeds in place and discard the stems. Dry the eggplants piece by piece, covered, on a clean tea towel. Heat the frying oil to 190°C. Fry the eggplant pieces in two batches until light brown and drain on kitchen paper. Transfer to a serving pan and keep warm. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl until smooth and set aside. Heat the sunflower oil in a wok until very hot. Add the pineapple pieces and stir-fry until browned. Add the onions, garlic cloves, ginger, and chili peppers and stir-fry for 60 seconds. Deglaze with the sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture with the stirred eggplant pieces for 3 minutes, covered. Season with salt to taste. Transfer the mixture from the wok to the serving pan, garnish with the mung bean sprouts, serve as a side dish, and enjoy.