Pickled Eggpant, Sichuan-style

Vegetables, also Vegetarian Foods

Pickled Eggpant, Sichuan-style
Ingredients:
2 cups thin purple-skinned Japanese-style eggplant
1 cup white-skinned eggplant
1 cup green-skinned eggplant
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup coarsely minced cilantro
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon sugar
4 Tablespoons clear rice vinegar
2 Tablespoon red rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons thin or white soy sauce
2 Tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons finely minced fresh garlic
1 Tablespoon whole turmeric seeds, smashed with wooden handle of a cleaver
3 fresh red chili peppers, seeded, and minced
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, as garnish
Preparation:
1. Wash, dry, then cut all the eggplants in half-inch by two-inch strips. Then line steamer basket with an all-white paper towel and place then on it.
2. Steam over boiling water for twenty minutes, remove to a strainer basket, and cool in the refrigerator, covered for one hour.
3. Mix rest of the ingredients, except the sesame seeds, in a glass or other non-reactive bowl, then toss with the eggplant pieces. Cover and set aside for one hour. Then drain and sprinkle on sesame seeds and serve.

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