Eggplant Sweet-and-Sour with Tomato Sauce

20240922 #breakfastdiary 1187, 19°C/mostly cloudy, 25 min exercise (S, M) One of the most pointless debates in Korea is the 'sauce-on-top vs. dip' debate: should sweet-and-sour pork be dipped in the sauce, or should the sauce be poured over it? According to a 2022 Hankook Research survey, 60% prefer dipping versus 22% for pouring, with dipping the clear favorite. There was also an 18% who said both were about the same — though some of that was probably a shrug of 'why are you even asking this.' Bottom line: whoever's paying decides, or just ask for a side plate and everyone eats it their own way. Today's eggplant sweet-and-sour gets a light pour of sauce, more in the spirit of dipping. You'll need 2 eggplants, 5 cherry tomatoes, and lemon (optional). Roll the eggplant flat with a rolling pin, cut off the ends to drain the moisture, then tear it apart by hand. Toss with a little olive oil and starch, then air-fry at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes (take it out and toss at the 10-minute mark). Of course it can't be quite as crispy as deep-fried. Meanwhile, combine 2 parts soy sauce, 2 parts vinegar, 3 parts allulose with 1/2 part oyster sauce for extra umami, pour in 150ml water, add cherry tomatoes cut into quarters, and simmer briefly. Pour in a starch slurry (starch:water = 1:1) and mix evenly. Today it's sauce-on-top: plate the eggplant, pour over the tomato sauce, and top with a little lemon zest.