Korean Stuffed Eggplant Seon
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Each piece of eggplant gets a deep cross cut that stops just short of the base, which opens it up like a pocket for a beef and tofu filling before it is steamed.
Read more
Stuffing every piece by hand takes time, and the dish was traditionally kept for guests and feasts.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Trim the stems from 3 eggplants and cut them into 5 cm sections.
Cut a deep cross slit into the center of each piece, leaving 0.5 cm at the base so the pocket holds together.
- 2
Press 120 g firm tofu in a cloth to remove excess moisture, then mash it finely.
Mix it with 180 g ground beef, 80 g minced onion, and 1 tsp minced garlic until the filling looks even.
- 3
Add 1 tbsp soy sauce, about half of the sesame oil, and 0.25 tsp black pepper to the filling.
Knead until slightly sticky so it packs firmly into the eggplant and does not fall out while steaming.
- 4
Open each slit gently with your fingers and press in small portions of filling.
Do not overfill, or the eggplant can split; smooth the surface so the filling sits level with the cut edges.
- 5
Once the steamer is producing steady steam, arrange the stuffed eggplants with space between them and cover.
Steam over high heat for 12 to 15 minutes, avoiding frequent opening so the temperature stays stable.
- 6
Remove the eggplants when the skin is darker and the flesh yields gently to pressure.
Mix the remaining 1 tbsp soy sauce with 50 ml water, spoon it over the top, and finish with the remaining sesame oil.
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