Steps

1. Trim the ends of the 2 eggplants using a pencil-sharpener method, then peel them with a peeler. Save the peels for another dish.
   🕒 01:06
2. Cut the peeled eggplants in half, then cut them into 1cm thick batons.
   🕒 01:36
3. Lightly heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and deep-fry the reserved eggplant peels until crispy. Remove and set aside.
   🕒 02:11
4. Carefully pat dry the excess moisture from the batoned eggplants.
   🕒 02:34
5. Evenly coat the surface of the dried eggplants with 1.5 tbsp Potato Starch. [Key Tip!] Coating with potato starch also helps prevent discoloration, so work quickly.
   🕒 03:11
6. Using the oil remaining in the pan from frying the eggplant peels, fry the potato-starch-coated eggplants until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Remove once done. [Key Tip!] If they stick together during frying, continue to fry all sides until they separate.
   🕒 03:33
7. Wipe out the remaining oil in the frying pan, leaving about 1 tbsp of oil.
   🕒 04:31
8. Let the remaining oil cool slightly, then add 1 clove of minced Garlic to the pan and infuse the oil with its aroma. [Key Tip!] Be careful, as the oil that is too hot can burn the garlic.
   🕒 04:51
9. Once the garlic starts to color, slightly increase the heat and add 1 thinly sliced Red Chili (optional) to infuse spiciness.
   🕒 05:08
10. Return the fried crispy eggplant skin chips and the fried eggplant to the pan and toss to coat everything evenly.
    🕒 05:19
11. Season with salt (to taste) and coarse black pepper (to taste). [Key Tip!] Adding Sichuan peppercorns will further enhance the flavor.
    🕒 05:36
12. Plate the dish and sprinkle with additional coarse black pepper. [Key Tip!] These are best enjoyed immediately after frying for maximum crispiness.
    🕒 05:54