Eggplant side dish (gaji namul)

I made this Korean eggplant side dishes some times ago. I learned a bit about Korean cooking while I was in culinary studies, and was interested on how healthy their dishes are (with little oil and all that). When I wanted to look for any Korean recipes to try, I always headed to Maangchi. She had lots of amazing recipes, tips and videos!

This recipe is quite simple and tasty.  The steam eggplant is really soft and tender. And the best part is that it requires no oil for frying :)

Eggplant side dish (gaji namul)

3 medium sized Asian eggplant

2½ tbs soy sauce

1 chopped green onion

2 cloves of garlic, 

½ tbs of roasted sesame seeds, 

½ tbs of sesame oil, 

1 ts of hot pepper flakes

(I discarded green onion and sesame seeds while I make this, as I ran out of the ingredients.)

1. Cut 3 medium sized Asian eggplants into 2 or 3 pieces. Then cut each piece in half lengthwise
2. Pour 2 cups of water into a steamer, and place the pieces of eggplant inside. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes over high heat.
3. Turn  the heat off and move the cooked eggplant to a bowl. Set it aside to cool down.
4. After the eggplant has cooled, drain the liquid from the bottom of the bowl.
5. Tear each piece of eggplant lengthwise with your fingers, and put the strips into a large bowl.
6. Add these seasonings to the bowl: minced garlic, hot pepper flakes, chopped green onion, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
7. Mix it all together with your hand. Serve with rice as a side dish.