Northern Chinese Recipe

Di San Xian

Northeastern potato, eggplant, and green pepper in a savory garlic-soy sauce.

Recipe at a glance

Serves / makesServes 3–4
Time40 minutes
Cuisine or formatNorthern Chinese
UseHome cooking and menu literacy

Ingredients

  • 1 potato, cut in chunks
  • 1 eggplant, cut in chunks
  • 1 green pepper
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce, optional
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tsp cornstarch slurry

Method

  1. Pan-fry potato until browned and nearly tender.
  2. Cook eggplant until browned and softened.
  3. Cook green pepper briefly.
  4. Fry garlic in the pan.
  5. Add soy sauces, sugar, and water.
  6. Return vegetables and thicken lightly.

Menu-literacy notes

  • Di san xian means three fresh things from the earth.
  • It is a Dongbei comfort dish.
  • Usually vegetarian in concept, but shared equipment may matter.

Variations and substitutions

  • Adjust salt, sugar, chile, and vinegar gradually rather than changing all seasonings at once.
  • For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, wrappers, broth, cooking wine, and shared equipment.
  • When adapting the dish, preserve the core technique and flavor structure that make it recognizable on a menu.

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