Go Back
Print
three treasure vegetables

Three Treasure Vegetables (Di San Xian)

This is a north eastern Chinese dish with eggplants, potatoes and capsicums in a flavorful sauce of roasted garlic and soy sauce with the spicy heat of chilies.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Author Vanitha Bhat

Ingredients

  • 4 Japanese or Chinese eggplants chopped
  • 1 medium potato peeled and cubed
  • 1 large or 2 medium bell peppers cubed
  • 1 large onion cut into petals
  • 5-6 large cloves of garlic peeled and minced or finely chopped

FOR THE SAUCE:

  • ¼ cup dark soy sauce
  • 2-3 tablespoons sambal olek/ schezwan chutney or any hot sauce like Sriracha
  • 1-2 teaspoons vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar/jaggery or maple syrup or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch optional
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • Neutral oil for frying and sautéing the veggies

OPTIONAL GARNISHINGS:

  • Toasted sesame seeds
  • Chopped green onions
  • Roasted peanuts

Instructions

TO PREP THE VEGETABLES AND AROMATICS:

  1. Cut 4 Japanese eggplants and 1 medium sized potatoe (after peeling) into bite sized chunks. Store both in separate bowls of water to avoid any browning effect.

  2. Chop 1 to 2 bell peppers (just green or a mix of colors) into cubes, mince 6 large cloves of garlic and cut 1 large onion into petals or dice them.

TO MAKE THE SOY SAUCE MIXTURE:

  1. Mix 1/4 cup dark soy sauce, 2-3 tablespoons Schezwan Chutney (or your choice of hot sauce), 2 teaspoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon jaggery powder (or your choice of sweetener), 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and 2 teaspoons sesame oil in a bowl, adjusting the taste to make for a spicy yet mildly sweet and savory sauce mixture.

TO MAKE THREE TREASURE VEGETABLES STIR FRY:

  1. Heat 3 tablespoons of any cooking oil or even sesame oil and when hot, remove the potatoes from the water and add to the hot pan.

  2. Sauté them with a sprinkle of salt on medium heat until almost cooked and browned, stirring often.

  3. When almost cooked and they have a nice golden brown char, remove using a slotted spoon and set aside in a plate or bowl.

  4. Add more oil if needed to the pan and tip in the eggplant after removing from water.

  5. Shallow fry/sauté the eggplant cubes, stirring often until again almost cooked and browned at edges.

  6. Do this in batches and if the eggplant is fresh, it will cook in a flash and at the same time, the high temperature of the wok or saucepan will add a char to the vegetable.

  7. Add some salt if needed. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside.

  8. If needed, again add 2 tablespoons oil and when hot, add the minced garlic. Fry on medium heat until starting to brown.

  9. Stir in cubed onions and stir fry for a few minutes until it loses its color and turns translucent.

  10. Tip in the cubed bell peppers and sauté on medium high heat for a minute or so until starting to cook yet maintaining its crunch and color. DO NOT OVERCOOK.

  11. Add the browned potatoes and eggplants along with sauce mixture; mix well to coat and cook on medium heat, adding a sprinkle of water and salt if needed.

  12. Heat just until all the flavors have blended and the veggies have heated through and almost cooked (but still with a bite in it); just a couple of minutes; again do not overcook.

  13. Sprinkle roasted peanuts (optional) and roasted sesame seeds, remove from heat and serve immediately.

  14. It is perfect with a large bowl of rice but can be a side or accompaniment to any meal!

  15. Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating!

Recipe Notes

  • Adjust the amount of ingredients according to your preference.
  • You can deep fry eggplants and potatoes, but flash frying them in the pan works fine too without all that extra oil during deep frying.
  • Adding hot chili sauce is optional; you can stir fry some slit green or red chilies for that added heat or even sprinkle some crushed red pepper.
  • Do not add too much cornstarch; start with 1 teaspoon of it. You can even omit it completely too.
  • Adjust the amount of salt if you are adding it while flash frying the veggies. Remember, soy sauce and hot chili sauce if using too will have salt.
  • Adding a sweetener is again optional but gives a balanced flavor to the dish.
  • Enjoy Cooking and Happy Eating!