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Di san xian
Dongbei "three treasures of the earth": potato, aubergine and green pepper in a glossy garlic sauce
Di san xian means 'three fresh things from the earth', and it is the best-known home dish of Dongbei, China's cold north-east, where potatoes, aubergines and peppers are the summer harvest. Each vegetable is fried until golden, then tossed in a sticky, garlicky soy glaze. It's rich and filling, and goes with rice or steamed buns. Chef's tip: fry the potato first and longest; it needs to be golden and fully tender before it meets the sauce, because it won't soften further in the wok.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
Vegetables
Sauce
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Toss 1 aubergine with 2 tbsp cornflour so every piece is coated. Mix 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, ½ cup water, 1 tsp cornflour and ¼ tsp salt in a jug.
Step 2: Heat 6 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. Fry 1 potato for 6–7 minutes, turning, until golden at the edges and tender when pierced. Lift out.
7 minStep 3: Fry the aubergine in the same oil for 5–6 minutes until golden and soft. Add 1 green pepper for the last 30 seconds, just until it brightens. Lift out and pour off all but 1 tbsp of oil.
6 minStep 4: Common mistake: frying everything together. The potato stays hard and the aubergine turns to mush; cook them separately.
Step 5: Fry 4 cloves garlic and 1 spring onion for 20 seconds, then pour in the sauce. When it bubbles and turns glossy, return all the vegetables and toss for 1 minute to coat.
2 minStep 6: Serve hot with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does di san xian take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
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