Wendell's Eggplant in Spicy Sauce

This recipe is from Harumi's recipe book called Everyday Harumi.  I totally loooooved this dish. Even Harumi says that this is one of her top three favorite recipes. If you like eggplant, then for sure you should try and make this. I like it so much that I can even eat it cold, right from the 'fridge. 

The "Spicy Sauce" wasn't spicy to me. Just vinegary. Maybe it's the way that Wendell made it. He also added in some beef . . . "just because".


1 lb. 3 oz. eggplant
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup mirin
2 1/2 tbs. superfine sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar, unseasoned
2 to 3 tbs. finely minced leeks or scallions
1 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 tsp. finely minced ginger
1 to 2 red chilies, seeds removed and finely sliced into rings
sunflower or vegetable oil for deep frying
shredded leek to garnish

1.  Trim eggplant, and using a potato peeler, make some stripes in its skin. Cut into 1-inch disks and then quarters. Place into a bowl of cold water, soak for 5 to 10 minutes, drain and pat dry.
2.  Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and rice vinegar to make a sauce and set aside.
3.  In a skillet, heat enough oil to cover the eggplant. When hot, add the eggplant pieces and deep fry at a medium-high temperature.
4.  When the eggplant is cooked (when it is soft in the middle) remove from the skillet and drain off any excess oil. Put in a bowl, add the sauce, then the minced leek, garlic, ginger and chili and combine.
5.  Serve with shredded leek on top.