Chinese Eggplant

Name: Chinese Eggplant
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp ginger; 2 garlic cloves; ¼ cup Shaoxing cooking wine; 1 tsp sesame oil; 2 tsp sugar; 2 tbsp soy sauce; ½ tsp black pepper; 1 tsp cornstarch; 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar; ½ cup water; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 3 Chinese eggplant; 2 spring onions; 1 red chilli

User Reviews

5.0

3 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings
4
Calories
204 kcal
Course
Side Dish, Main Course
Cuisine
Chinese

Chinese Eggplant

Stella Pitts

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My creamy Chinese eggplant recipe is the most luxurious, warming and umami treasure. The glossy sweet and salty sauce clings to the eggplant in this quick and easy stir fry—guaranteed to fill any comfort-food craving.

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Ingredients

Servings

For the sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp ginger (finely grated)
2 garlic cloves (finely grated)
¼ cup Shaoxing cooking wine
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce (light)
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
½ cup water

For the stir fry

2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 Chinese eggplant (cut into thick batons)
2 spring onions (green onions/scallion) (thinly sliced) for garnish
1 red chilli (finely sliced) for garnish

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Instructions

To make the sauce

Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce
Heat the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok. When hot, fry the garlic and ginger for 20 seconds until browning. Pour in the stock mixture and let it bubble for 30 seconds until thickened. Remove from the heat and pour into a waiting bowl.

To make the eggplant

Wipe the wok clean and heat the 2 tbsp of vegetable oil until hot. Add the eggplant and let it char on the bottom for 1-2 minutes. Toss around and let more of the eggplant brown. Cook for a total of 5 minutes until the eggplant is starting to soften.
Pour in the sauce and stir to coat everything - add about ¼-½ cup water and cover the pan. Let it boil for 1-2 minutes then remove the lid and let it simmer furiously to thicken for a further 1-2 minutes until the eggplant is soft and creamy.
Remove from the heat and scatter over the spring onion and chilli. That's it!

Notes

Typically I'll eat this as part of a larger meal, but this Chinese eggplant works so well on its own too, spooned over some steamed or fried rice.
Fridge: Chinese eggplant will stay fresh in the fridge for a good week it's actually pretty good reheated.
Freezer: On this occasion, fresh is best, so
Skins: People can often be a little weird about eggplant skins, but absolutely leave the skins on for this recipe, they'll soften and be easy to eat. They're also full of nutrients!
Hot stuff: Eggplant cooked this way can feel as hot as the face of the sun in your mouth. Be careful when you eat - take it from a greedy person who often burns their mouth out with hasty spoonfuls. Delicious can be dangerous, you have been warned.
Salting eggplant - personally, I tend not to salt my eggplant for this dish (to remove excess moisture), but if you want to, sprinkle the cut eggplant liberally with salt and leave for 20 mins or so, then wipe dry with paper towels before use.
Fridge: Chinese eggplant will stay fresh in the fridge for a good week it's actually pretty good reheated.
Freezer: On this occasion, fresh is best, so I personally would not recommend freezing leftovers.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 204kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 13.1g (4%) Protein 1.8g (4%) Fat 17.8g (27%) Saturated Fat 2.6g (13%) Sodium 689mg (29%) Potassium 289mg (8%) Fiber 4.3g (17%) Sugar 6.9g (14%)