Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Puncture eggplant in a few places with a fork or skewer. Bake on a sheet pan until soft, about 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool slightly, then peel and split lengthwise into strips about 1 inch thick.'

Heat oil in a wok or saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add pork, chile, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili powder and sugar; cook, stirring, until meat loses its raw color. Add stock and water and bring to a boil. Add lime sauce, shrimp and eggplant; simmer until shrimp are done. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer eggplant pieces to a serving dish and top with pork mixture. Garnish with coriander and green onions.

Spicy Lime Sauce: Combine garlic, chiles and the water in a blender or food processor and liquefy. Combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and chile-garlic mixture in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar. If using sauce by itself, add a bit of shredded carrot for garnish. Makes 1 scant cup. Per Serving: 175 calories, 10 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 10 g fat (3 g saturated), 42 mg cholesterol, 418 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.

From Jay Harlow's "Southeast Asian Cooking." From an article by Joyce Jue in The San Francisco Chronicle, 9/4/91.