Di San Xian (Three Earthly Delicacies)
About This Dish
This is one of those dishes that sounds simple—just three vegetables—but when done right, it's absolutely incredible. Eggplant, potatoes, and bell peppers, all fried until golden and then tossed together in a savory sauce. It's a classic from Northeast China, and honestly? It's one of my favorite ways to eat vegetables. The eggplant gets silky and rich, the potatoes crispy on the outside and tender inside, and the bell peppers add that fresh crunch. Yes, it's fried, but sometimes that's exactly what you need. This is the kind of dish that makes you forget you're eating vegetables.
Flavors
Nutrition Information
Ingredients
- Eggplant
- Potatoes
- Bell peppers
- Garlic
- Scallions
- Light soy sauce
- Dark soy sauce
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cornstarch slurry
Instructions
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1
Cut everything into chunks—eggplant, potatoes, and bell peppers. For the eggplant and potatoes, cut them into irregular chunks (that's the 'roll-cut' technique). It gives more surface area for browning.
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2
Here's the key step: salt the eggplant and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then squeeze out the excess water. This does two things—removes bitterness and prevents the eggplant from soaking up too much oil when you fry it.
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3
Heat a good amount of oil in a wok or deep pan. You'll need to fry each vegetable separately because they cook at different rates. Start with the potatoes—fry until golden and crispy on the outside. Remove and drain.
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4
Fry the eggplant next until it's golden and tender. Remove and drain. Then quickly fry the bell peppers—just a quick pass through the hot oil, maybe 30 seconds. You want them still crisp.
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5
Pour out most of the oil, leaving just a tablespoon or two. Add minced garlic and scallion whites, and stir until fragrant—about 20 seconds.
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6
Add all three fried vegetables back to the pan. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce (for color), sugar, and a pinch of salt. Toss everything together quickly.
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7
Add the cornstarch slurry gradually while stirring. You want the sauce to thicken and coat everything nicely.
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8
Finish with chopped scallion greens, give it one final toss, and serve hot over rice.
Cooking Tips
- Salting the eggplant first is non-negotiable. It removes bitterness and prevents it from becoming an oil sponge. Don't skip this step.
- Fry each vegetable separately. I know it seems like extra work, but they all need different cooking times. The potatoes need longer, the peppers barely any time at all.
- Don't overcook the vegetables when frying. You want them golden and crispy, not burnt. The eggplant should be tender but not mushy.
- When you're tossing everything together at the end, work quickly. You want to coat everything in the sauce without letting the vegetables get soggy.
Quick Summary
Cut eggplant, potatoes, and bell peppers into chunks. Salt the eggplant, then fry each vegetable separately until golden. Toss together with aromatics and a savory sauce, then thicken with cornstarch slurry.
