Di San Xian (Stir Fried Potato, Aubergine and Pepper)

地三鲜 Di San Xian Roughly means Three Fresh Earth.

I found this dish going to the local Chinese restaurant here in Beijing. It is a popular northern dish, and basically every local place will serve it.

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 Asian Eggplants (bigger eggplant need to be salted and sweated first)
• 2 or 3 large potatoes
• 2 green peppers
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Cooking Oil (I use peanut oil because it has a high smoke point)
• Dark Soy sauce

Method

Prepare your vegetables. I cut my potatoes thin to speed up cooking. I cut the eggplant length wise, and then length wise again and then cut into small pieces. Cut the green pepper however you like. Dice the garlic into thin slices that will cook quickly.

Turn the fire on *surface of the sun* or as hot as it will go. Pour about half an inch of oil in the bottom of your wok and heat then throw in your potatoes.

you want to cook them to a golden brown and tender throughout. Strain out the oil and set the cooked potatoes aside on a plate.

You should still have a quarter of an inch of oil in the pan, if not, add some more. Let it heat up again and throw in the eggplant. Keep the eggplant moving since it is naturally a little dry and likes to stick.

Once the eggplant is tender, add the cut up green pepper and diced garlic. If you're running low on oil in the pan, add a tad bit more. Keep tossing the green pepper, eggplant, and garlic in the pan. I use a spoon to keep as much vegetable in contact with the outside of the pan as possible.

Once the green pepper is starting to shrink and becomes tender, add the potato. Toss to mix well. Throw some soy sauce over top and toss to until the food is evenly coated. I put a lid on the wok at this point to keep some moisture in and stopping it from getting burnt.

Throw it on a plate and serve.