Carefully wash 3 whole eggplants. Trim off the stems and cut each of them into thin long strips (reference video). Afterwards, cut the long strips in half. Place a steamer basket in a large pot and pour in a small layer of water. Wait until the pot comes to boil and releases steam. Then add in the eggplant pieces - place a lid onto the pot - and let it steam for 4 minutes.
After 4 minutes, use a chopstick (or fork) to poke into the eggplant. It should go through easy. If it does, turn off the heat and carefully take the steam basket out. Then use your hands and thoroughly squeeze the water out of the eggplant pieces. We want to get as much water out as we can (but don't go too overboard with it).
Now place the squeezed eggplant pieces into a mixing bowl. Season it with: Soup Soy Sauce (1 Tablespoon), Minced Garlic (½ Tablespoon), Sesame Oil (1 Tablespoon). Then crush some sesame seeds in a bowl. And add 1 Tablespoon of the Crushed Sesame Seeds into the mixing bowl. Give it a nice stir with your hands.
Give it a taste - and if it tastes slightly bland to you - add-in a small pinch of salt (optional). (FYI: We didn't need any when we made it)
Finish by sprinkling-on a small handful of the chopped green onions (gives a nice color contrast). Place the banchan in the refrigerator and wait till it turns cold (tastes better when served cold). Once its cold, serve alongside a bowl of hot rice.
Bon Appetit ya'll!
