Spicy Aubergine with Udon Noodles recipes
This recipe prepares a spicy Asian-inspired dish featuring lean ground beef and aubergine, stir-fried in a rich sauce with aromatics and tossed with slippery udon noodles. It's a quick and flavorful main course ready in under an hour.
Equipment
- 1 Wok or Large Skillet High sides are beneficial for stir-frying
- 1 Saucepan For cooking udon noodles
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Spatula or wooden spoon Heatproof
Ingredients
Main
- 3 tbsp sambal oelek
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp sake
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
- 8 tbsp peanut oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger minced
- 1 yellow bell pepper diced
- 2 large aubergine cut into chaos chunks
- scallions
- 4 bundles of dried udon noodles cooked washed and rinsed at least 10 times
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together sambal oelek, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sake, and mirin to create the sauce base.
- Cook udon noodles according to package instructions until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water briefly; set aside.
- Heat peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add ground beef and cook, breaking it apart, until well browned; drain off excess fat if necessary.
- Add minced garlic, ginger, diced yellow bell pepper, and aubergine chunks to the skillet.
- Stir-fry for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened and the aubergine is tender.
- Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the skillet with the beef and vegetables.
- Stir well to combine and simmer for 2-3 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce slightly and flavors to meld.
- Add the cooked and drained udon noodles to the skillet.
- Toss everything together until the noodles are evenly coated with the sauce and heated through, then garnish with chopped scallions and serve immediately.
Notes
Ensure your aubergine/eggplant chunks are roughly uniform in size for even cooking. If using Italian or globe eggplant, you may want to salt them briefly to draw out bitterness and excess water before cooking, though smaller Asian varieties usually don't require this. Adjust the amount of sambal oelek to control the heat level according to your preference. For added texture, consider garnishing with toasted sesame seeds or chopped roasted peanuts. Properly browning the beef is key to developing flavor; don't overcrowd the pan.