Braised Eggplant

⏱ 30 min 🔥 250 kcal 💪 18.7 g protein 🥬 7.7 g fiber 🥘 4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 oz ground pork (225 g)

• 3 star anise

• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

• 1 small Italian sweet pepper, cut into chunks

• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks

• 2 Thai chili, crushed

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 eggplants (~ 1.5 lb or 700 g), cut into 1/3 inch strips

Instructions

1. In a skillet on medium heat, saute the pork until change color from pink to brown and fat starting to render out.

2. Add the star anise, garlic, Italian sweet pepper, and tomatoes, salt, and soy sauce, saute for about 3 - 5 minutes.

3. Add the eggplant and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until eggplant are soft but still holds its shape. Stir occasionally with the back of a spatula.

Notes

1. To make it vegan, simply leave out the ground pork and use 1 tbsp of vegetable oil.

2. Use green bell pepper if you cannot find Italian sweet green pepper.

3. The star anise gives this dish its unique asian flavor. Enjoy it with rice or bread.