Steps

1. Peel the eggplants (4 medium) in a striped pattern and cut into bite-sized, irregular chunks.
   🕒 01:12
2. Soak the cut eggplants in water for about 10 minutes.
   🕒 01:24
3. Remove the stems from the cherry tomatoes (20), make a small cut on each, blanch them in hot water, and then cool in water.
   🕒 01:54
4. Finely mince 50g of ginger. [Key Tip!] Using both finely minced ginger and slightly larger pieces creates a flavor accent.
   🕒 02:06
5. In a bowl, combine 5 tbsp of soy sauce, 3 tbsp of cooking sake (rice wine), and a pinch of black pepper. Mix well.
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6. Heat 3 tbsp of sesame oil in a frying pan.
   🕒 02:48
7. Arrange the drained eggplants in the frying pan.
   🕒 02:55
8. Cover with a lid and steam-fry over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
   🕒 03:14
9. Once the eggplants are lightly browned on one side, flip them, cover again, and steam-fry for another 2 minutes.
   🕒 03:29
10. When the eggplants are about halfway cooked, transfer them to a plate.
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11. Add 2 tbsp of Taipai sesame oil (or neutral oil) and the roughly minced ginger to the same frying pan. Sauté over low to medium heat.
    🕒 05:22
12. Once the ginger is fragrant, add 5 tbsp of sugar and stir to dissolve. [Key Tip!] Sauté until the ginger loses its moisture and the pieces shrink. This draws out the ginger's essence thoroughly.
    🕒 05:43
13. When the ginger pieces have shrunk and their essence has infused into the sugar, add the prepared seasoning mixture.
    🕒 06:56
14. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
    🕒 07:19
15. Return the reserved eggplants to the pan. Stir and cook to coat the eggplants with the sauce.
    🕒 07:31
16. Add the blanched tomatoes and gently mix.
    🕒 08:08
17. Cover and simmer for about 1 minute.
    🕒 08:30
18. Once the tomatoes have started to break down slightly, drizzle in 2 tbsp of sesame oil.
    🕒 09:02
19. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with mint (optional) to finish.
    🕒 09:24