We followed this twist on ma po tofu by Andrew Zimmern: http://andrewzimmern.com/2015/02/24/ma-po-eggplant-garlic-sauce/. Instead of broiling the eggplant, we oven-roasted it at 450 for 30 mins. We followed this recipe but used peanut oil and a little salt and black pepper. http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/143686120171/oven-roasted-eggplant-preheat-oven-to-450-cut (July 2016)
Note: We found that marinating the minced pork for 20 mins (rather than 2 hours) was sufficient. We also used 2/3 Tbsp Vietnamese chili garlic sauce in lieu of 1 Tbsp sambal oelek.
Cooking Adventures 