Shake the eggplant in flour, making sure that all the cut surfaces are coated. Deep fry the coated eggplant at 375°F for 2 to 4 minutes until golden brown in color and soft. Place the fried eggplant on a few layers of paper towels to absorb excess oil. Stir fry the flavoring mixture in 2 Tbs of cooking oil until it smells good, add the ground pork and fry until it is done. Add the sauce mixture, stir well and when the sauce turns clear, mix in the fried eggplant. Gently fold the eggplant into the sauce.

To make a hotter dish a tsp or two of Szechuan hot sauce may be added to the sauce mixture, or a Tbs of shredded fresh hot peppers may be stir fried along with the flavoring mixture. For those who prefer not to eat meat, 1/2 cup of shredded black mushrooms or fresh mushrooms may be substituted for the pork. If deep frying is a problem, another approach is to pan fry the eggplant patiently. Cover the wok while frying and sprinkle a few drops of water periodically to speed up the cooking. The eggplant can also be baked or steamed.