Three Treasures From Earth - Sautéed Eggplant Potato and Bell Pepper (地三鲜 Di San Xian)
Try this popular Northeastern Chinese dish, Three Treasures From Earth, while all three ingredients are in season. Eggplants, bell peppers, and potatoes, each with their own distinctive taste and texture, complement each other extremely well in a rich flavorful sauce that's both savory and sweet.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 25 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 large or 2 medium Chinese or Japanese eggplants1 (about 1/2 lb)
- 1 medium yellow potato
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 green onions
- 2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (used separately)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- 1
Roll cut the eggplants into wedges. Hold the knife at a 45° degree angle and make a slanted cut. Then roll the eggplant 180° degree and make another slanted cut. Repeat the same process until no eggplant remains. Peel the potato. Cut the potato into medium-size chunks. Remove the bell pepper's seeds and veins (the white part inside the pepper). Cut the bell pepper into medium pieces.
- 2
Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Mince the green onion as well.
- 3
In a small dish, combine the 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoons of dark soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of corn starch, and 3 tablespoons of water, mixing well.
- 4
Heat a large non-stick pan under medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. When the oil is warm, add the potato pieces. Toss and stir occasionally to make sure all sides are cooked. Lower the heat a little if the potatoes are getting browned. The potatoes are ready when the color has changed to a richer golden hue with some surfaces slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a plate. Make sure the oil remains in the pan.
- 5
Gently sauté the eggplant wedges. Make sure to sauté the eggplants last (after the potatoes and bell peppers) since eggplants tend to absorb the most oil. Toss and stir occasionally until eggplants become soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can steam the eggplants for 8 minutes.
- 6
In the same non-stick pan, under medium-low heat, add the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Then add the minced garlic and onions, stirring briefly. Add the prepared sauce (stir gently before adding). Keep tossing the sauce until the sauce becomes relatively thick, about 10 seconds. Add a little bit of water if sauce becomes too thick. Then add the sautéed potatoes, bell peppers, and eggplants to the pan and mix well with the sauce. Stir and toss for another minute and transfer to a plate. Enjoy while hot.