Why Northern Vietnamese eggplant cannot lack this spice

According to Oriental medicine, eggplants and eggplants in general are cold, sweet, have anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, menstrual-promoting, digestive-aiding, and kidney-enhancing effects. However, fresh eggplants contain 5-10 times more toxic solanine than the safe limit, even when cooked at high temperatures. If not handled properly, dishes with high solanine content can affect health, from mild nausea to more severe diarrhea and hallucinations.

Therefore, according to folk experience, when cooking eggplant, an indispensable ingredient is fermented rice (or vinegar). Fermented rice contains lactic acid - an important factor in neutralizing solanine in fresh eggplant, making the dish safer for both children and the elderly. In addition, fermented rice has a fragrant aroma, a mild sour taste and a sweet aftertaste, different from the strong sour taste of lemon, so it helps balance the taste of the dish. Moreover, the finely filtered fermented rice, when cooked, blends with the soft, fragrant eggplant and fatty pork belly, creating a natural, attractive light consistency that is difficult to achieve with any sour taste.

The braised eggplant dish will be more flavorful when adding a little shrimp paste. Since ancient times, mothers and grandmothers have taught that the dish will be less flavorful if "Pork meat without onions, soup without shrimp paste". It means that pork goes well with onions, soup/boiled eggplant needs a little shrimp paste to make the broth sweeter. In addition, the amino acids in shrimp paste react with lactic acid from the yeast to create amino salts with a sweet aftertaste, helping the dish harmonize the flavors, bringing a more relaxing feeling to the taste buds.

How to make Northern style braised eggplant

Ingredients: 200g pork belly, 2 blocks of tofu, 2 eggplants, 1 turmeric root, 1 tablespoon of fermented rice. Scallions, perilla, Chinese clematis leaves, and piper lolot leaves.

Remove the stem of the eggplant, cut into bite-sized pieces, and soak in water mixed with vinegar for 20 minutes to release the sap and prevent the eggplant from turning brown. Remove the eggplant, wash it, drain it, and fry it until golden brown on both sides. This step will help the eggplant pieces firm up and retain their shape after being cooked.

Cut the tofu into bite-sized squares, then fry until golden brown, remove and drain. You do not need to fry it too crispy because it will make the inside of the tofu lose its softness and fat. Scrape off the hair on the pork belly, blanch it in boiling water, then remove and wash it, cut into squares. Fry the onion tops until fragrant, then add the meat and stir-fry with 1 teaspoon of salt. Add water and simmer until the meat is tender.

Add the fried tofu, thinly sliced or crushed turmeric, then filter the water and add it to the pork belly pot and continue to boil. Next, pour the fried eggplant into the pot, stir so that the turmeric color is absorbed evenly into all the ingredients. Be gentle so that the eggplant and tofu do not get crushed. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 cup of filtered water to make the water have a slightly sour taste. You can adjust the sourness depending on the type of water and your taste.

The stewed eggplant soup has a golden color, rich and fatty, slightly sour, sweet and aromatic. All the ingredients are well-seasoned. This dish is served with white rice or fresh noodles, both of which bring an unforgettable culinary experience.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/vi-sao-ca-bung-mien-bac-nhat-dinh-khong-the-thieu-loai-gia-vi-nay-172240726071826692.htm