Chinese Eggplant Garlic Sauce (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
2 green onions, sliced
02 -
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
03 -
1-inch (2.5 cm) chunk ginger, finely chopped
04 -
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
05 -
2 Chinese eggplants (about 450 g), cut into thick pieces around 5 cm long
→ Sauce
06 -
Red pepper flakes, add as much as you like (optional)
07 -
0.5 teaspoon (2.5 ml) sesame oil, totally up to you
08 -
1 teaspoon (2.5 g) cornstarch
09 -
60 ml water
10 -
1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar
11 -
1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar
12 -
2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
→ To Serve
13 -
Hot steamed rice
# Instructions:
01 -
Scoop the eggplant onto a plate and dig in right away with some fluffy steamed rice.
02 -
Slide the cooked eggplant back into the pan, stir it around so it gets covered in the sauce, splash on sesame oil, toss in red pepper flakes if you want, and sprinkle with green onion.
03 -
Pour in the sauce and the aromatics, keep stirring, let it bubble and get thicker for a minute or two.
04 -
Whip up the sauce by mixing soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, and water in a small bowl so it's nice and smooth.
05 -
Maybe add a bit more oil, lower the heat a little, then throw the garlic and ginger in. Stir for about a minute till they smell great.
06 -
Pop 2 tablespoons oil in a big non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high. Lay eggplant pieces flat, let them fry for 8–10 minutes, flipping now and then till they're soft and golden. If your pan's packed, do it in a couple of turns. Set eggplant aside.
07 -
Rinse off your eggplants, slice them into chunky pieces, about 5 cm long and fairly thick. Soaking them in salted water for 10–15 minutes helps tone down the strong taste—just drain and pat dry when they're done.
# Notes:
01 -
Letting chopped eggplant sit in salty water pulls out the bitter taste and keeps them nice and soft.
02 -
Chow down as soon as everything's hot—the flavors and shiny sauce are best right out of the pan.