This is a simmered dish that my mother made when I was small. When I was young, I found it less appetizing because the green peas and aburaage were drenched in the color of the eggplants. Now this is the sort of Japanese flavor that makes me homesick when I am overseas. I tried to reproduce this nostalgic dish by asking my mother for instructions.

1. Make sure to chop the eggplants into large pieces. They break apart and dissolve if they are too small.
2. Stir-fry the green beans first so that the eggplants don't soak up too much oil.
3. My mother's simmered dishes - like this one - uses high heat and needs to be flavored quickly, so make sure to check the amount of water in the pan occasionally.
4. If the flavor is allowed to soak in too long, the color may become less appetizing. Recipe by PARNELL