Braised Eggplant with Broad Bean Paste

Why people make this dish

Eggplant comes in round chubby shapes and long slender ones, in purple, green, white and near-black. In the Chinese food tradition it is regarded as sweet in flavor and cooling in nature, valued for clearing heat and supporting circulation. This bean-paste braised version is full of flavor and a favorite for coaxing the appetite back when nothing else appeals.