I just know I’d love it, I always order the spicy eggplant at Eric Chinese restaurant in SF.
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what western region is this dish from , it looks stupendous! and where was your picture taken, please?
I’m afraid I didn’t do as I was told. One of my eggplants was a bit janky, and I cut it up to see what was what, and ended up experimenting rather than following a recipe. 
I sort of used the DL recipe, but used some golden raisins, and pine nuts, sauted with some shallots, and roasted tomato sauce and roasted peppers I had on hand from my garden.
I also air fried a handful of the eggplant I ended up with, in olive oil and smoked paprika. 
…and ended up making about a cup
Tastes pretty good so far, but later this week will do as I was told. 
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Not familiar with this particular recipe (and sadly don’t remember which one I originally used), but does it include any vinegar? The end result is supposed to be sweet/sour.
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Yes; red wine vinegar. I was basing it on the David Leibowitz recipe linked above.
And apparently with memories of this one!
@Aubergine , I didn’t use celery, but did use capers and olives; some spicy green ones my daughter just gave me. 
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Did you blanch celery? Add capers and olives? I use kalamatas and spicy green ones.
I use roasted cherry tomatoes instead of tomato sauce, currants instead of raisins and honey, no sugar.
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Oh, that’s a staple of night bbq places, at least in southern China.
I took the photo in November 2019 in Guangzhou, but also had it there as recently as a few months ago.
If you’re venturing yonder, just follow the trail of smoke; whether the genesis is charcoal or cigarette, the food will still be good 
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Keep teasing.
Have you encountered this dish in the US, and if so, what is it called?
I’ve made this twice in the past week. Used it on homemade Focaccia sandwiches and then as a base for burrata as an app. I’m hoping to use it as a sauce for pasta this week!
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I guess we’ll never find out 
Bummer.
I keep saying I will make mousakka but I do make baba ganoush in the summer and love eggplant as a ground “meat” in pasta sauce. When I had a vegetable garden it was my prize crop.
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we were out for dinner at our favourite Asian restaurant. Herself ordered a favourite dish – bharli vangi. Baby aubergines long cooked a medium spiced peanut sauce. Google finds recipes, such as this one
I’m doubtful that we’ll ever try to cook this at home - the restaurant version is so good that I suspect our efforts would disappoint.
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Wow, that sounds really good. I’ve never had eggplant with peanut sauce.
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It would probably take a lot of your time.
Recipe says to: “check for worms”
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Seriously? Oh dear
I hated it when I first had it - in Normandy, I was 14, and I swear it was slimy. Now I love it. Favourites were great in the UK - recipes needed for both. “Buda aubergine” - a Vietnamese dish where an eggplant was steamed, halved and stuffed with with the “meat,” various small beans, herbs, firm tofu, and then steamed again. So delicious, the restaurant closed 
. Then “dhal aubergine ,” a silky dhal with perfectly cooked eggplant added, nicely spiced (from Needo Grill in Whitechapel) - could eat this every day. In Toronto shrimp and eggplant on rice, amazing grub Swatow. Sichuan eggplant is another firm favourite, as it’s a great roasted version especially from Ottolenghi where the char is always perfect. At home I make Baba ganoush, zaalouk, and lately a quick version of fish fragrant eggplant.
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Can you tell I LOVE eggplant? 
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I’m glad my US cookbooks don’t warn to check for worms — really puts me off!
I zebra striped the skin first. I should have bought at least 2 more eggplants to fill up this casserole.
This is in my top ten of favorites, for sure! It even tastes great cold.
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