Steps

1. Trim the stems from 2 eggplants (250g).
   🕒 00:52
2. Peel the eggplant skins in a striped pattern using a peeler.
   🕒 00:59
3. Cut the peeled eggplants into bite-sized, irregular chunks. (This is the key!) Cutting them slightly larger makes them more satisfying to eat and tastier.
   🕒 01:04
4. Soak the cut eggplants in water to remove bitterness.
   🕒 01:23
5. Peel and grate 150g of daikon radish.
   🕒 01:27
6. In a bowl, combine the grated daikon radish with 100ml of water, [A] 1 tbsp soy sauce, [A] 1 tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine), [A] 1 tsp sugar, [A] 1 tsp dashi powder, and [A] 1 tsp potato starch. Mix well.
   🕒 01:39
7. Add 50g of ground meat to a frying pan and stir-fry over medium heat.
   🕒 01:55
8. Once the ground meat is cooked through and has changed color, transfer it to the bowl with the grated daikon radish and seasoned sauce, and mix.
   🕒 02:09
9. In the same frying pan, drain the soaked eggplants and add them. Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and mix to coat the eggplants. (This is the key!) This technique allows you to cook with less oil by utilizing the fat from the ground meat. Coating the eggplants in oil beforehand helps them retain their color beautifully.
   🕒 02:20
10. Once coated in oil, place the eggplants skin-side down and pan-fry until browned.
    🕒 02:45
11. Flip the eggplants and pan-fry the other side until browned.
    🕒 02:56
12. Once both sides are browned, pour the mixture of grated daikon radish, seasonings, and ground meat into the frying pan.
    🕒 03:12
13. Stir occasionally while heating until the sauce thickens.
    🕒 03:22
14. Once the sauce has thickened, transfer to a plate.
    🕒 03:35
15. Garnish with chopped green onions if desired before serving.
    🕒 03:45