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Summer Vegetable Nanbanzuke (Sweet and Tangy Pickled Vegetables)

A Chinese-style Nanbanzuke recipe made in the microwave that maximizes the sweetness of summer vegetables. By steaming bell peppers and eggplants individually in plastic wrap, they are slowly cooked through by residual heat, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich sweetness. The sweet and sour sauce coats the vegetables thoroughly, making it a perfect accompaniment to rice. This is a perfect, effortlessly made side dish for hot summer days.

Steps

Wrap each bell pepper individually in plastic wrap. This is the key! Wrapping each vegetable individually is essential for steaming them thoroughly with their own moisture. Placing them on a plate and covering with plastic wrap can cause moisture to accumulate and make them soggy.
🕒 00:17
Microwave the plastic-wrapped bell peppers at 600W for 4 minutes. This is the key! If you're concerned about the plastic wrap puffing up, you can slightly open the wrap.
🕒 00:54
Trim the stem ends of the 3 eggplants as close as possible, and remove any remaining tough parts of the calyx. Peel the tough parts as if sharpening a pencil.
🕒 01:00
Wrap each of the prepared eggplants individually in plastic wrap. This is the key! Stainless steel containers like baking sheets cannot be used in the microwave, so wrap them in plastic.
🕒 01:24
Remove the microwaved bell peppers. If they are not tender, continue microwaving.
🕒 01:45
Transfer the eggplants to a microwave-safe dish and microwave at 600W for 4 minutes.
🕒 01:55
Let the microwaved bell peppers rest for 4 minutes without opening the plastic wrap, allowing them to cook through with residual heat. This is the key! Resting them after microwaving without opening the wrap allows them to become soft and sweeter.
🕒 02:05
In a bowl, combine grated ginger 10g, grated garlic 10g, sesame oil 1.5 tbsp, soy sauce 1.5 tbsp, vinegar 1 tbsp, oyster sauce 2 tsp, chicken bouillon powder 1 tsp, sugar 2 tsp, and toasted sesame seeds (to taste). This is the key! Freezing ginger in plastic wrap makes it easy to grate even when frozen.
🕒 02:21
Mix everything thoroughly to make the sauce.
🕒 03:22
Check the microwaved eggplants and remove them as they become tender. If any eggplants are still firm, continue microwaving until tender.
🕒 03:32
Cut the sweetened bell peppers into 4 pieces each for easy eating.
🕒 03:50
Add the cut bell peppers to the sauce while they are still warm and let them soak. This is the key! The flavor absorbs best as the temperature decreases, so mix them while warm.
🕒 04:11
Using tongs or a fork, cut the tender eggplants into bite-sized pieces. This is the key! The eggplants are very hot after microwaving whole, so be careful of burns. Cutting them before microwaving will release too much moisture, so microwaving them whole is optimal.
🕒 04:30
Add the cut eggplants to the sauce and mix well to coat and allow the flavors to meld. This is the key! The flavors meld best as they cool down, so ensure thorough coating while they are still warm.
🕒 05:11
Taste and adjust with additional soy sauce and sugar if the flavor is too light.
🕒 05:30
Let it rest for about 5 minutes to cool down and allow the flavors to meld. It's ready!
🕒 05:42