Cooking oil, for frying
1 large Chinese eggplant (about 10 ounces total), cut into one-inch pieces
5 ounces green beans, sliced in half
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tablespoon chu hou paste sauce (available at Asian groceries or online)
1/2 tablespoon sweet flour sauce (available at Asian groceries or online)
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce (available at Asian groceries or online)
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup water
Starch slurry made by mixing 1/2 tablespoon cold water with 1/2 teaspoon potato starch or cornstarch
Directions
Deep-fry eggplant until golden. Remove from fryer, place in a mesh colander to drain for at least 5 minutes. Next, deep-fry green beans until most of them have puckered skins. Set the vegetables aside.
Using a wok on high heat, add 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. When oil is hot, add sliced garlic and stir-fry briefly until garlic is yellowish and you can smell the fragrance of the garlic. Add chu hou paste, sweet flour sauce, oyster sauce, and water, constantly stirring. Cook for 30 seconds, until the sauces are boiling and fragrant. Add sugar, soy sauce, eggplant, and green beans. Stir for about a minute, then slowly add the starch slurry, stirring constantly. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce appears shiny and viscous. Remove from heat and serve.
