Steps

1. Trim the ends off the eggplant and slice into 1cm to 1.5cm thick pieces. Set aside the tips and any very small pieces for mincing.
   🕒 02:00
2. Soak the sliced eggplant (for stuffing) in water to remove bitterness.
   🕒 02:27
3. Trim the root ends of the green onion, then cut them in half and stack before thinly slicing.
   🕒 02:46
4. Place 150g of ground pork in a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, and knead until sticky and well combined.
   🕒 03:01
5. Add 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tbsp potato starch, and 1/2 tsp grated ginger. Knead thoroughly again. (Secret Tip!) Adding mayonnaise results in a juicy and tender texture for the ground meat filling.
   🕒 03:21
6. Add the chopped green onion to the ground meat mixture and gently mix.
   🕒 03:45
7. Pat dry the reserved eggplant tips and small pieces. Finely mince these eggplant pieces and add them to the ground meat bowl, mixing gently. (Secret Tip!) Finely chopping helps the eggplant integrate well with the meat.
   🕒 04:09
8. Thoroughly pat dry the soaked eggplant slices. Place the dried eggplant in a plastic bag, add 1 tbsp potato starch, seal the bag with some air inside, and shake to evenly coat the eggplant. (Secret Tip!) Adjust the amount of potato starch according to the number of eggplant slices (about 1 tbsp per eggplant is a good guide).
   🕒 04:43
9. Select similarly sized eggplant slices and sandwich the ground meat filling between them, pressing gently. (Secret Tip!) If you have leftover meat filling, you can fry small patties like mini hamburgers for a delicious treat.
   🕒 05:12
10. In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp soy sauce [A], 2 tbsp cooking sake [A], 1.5 tbsp sugar [A], and 1 tbsp vinegar [A]. Mix well until the sugar is dissolved.
    🕒 07:04
11. Heat vegetable oil (for cooking) in a frying pan over medium-low heat for about 30 seconds. Arrange the eggplant sandwiches in the heated pan. Sear one side for about 4 minutes, then flip and sear the other side for about 2 minutes until browned.
    🕒 07:20
12. Reduce heat to low, add 1 tbsp water (not included in seasoning ingredients), cover with a lid, and steam for about 5 minutes. (Secret Tip!) If the liquid evaporates too quickly during steaming, add a little more water.
    🕒 08:18
13. Remove the lid, check if cooked through, then pour the prepared sweet and sour glaze over the eggplant. Return to medium heat and gently move the eggplant to prevent sticking, simmering until the glaze thickens.
    🕒 08:36
14. Turn off the heat, arrange on a plate, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds (to taste) if desired. It's ready!
    🕒 09:36