Spicy Chinese Eggplant with Garlic
- Serves 2
This is probably one of the easiest and tastiest Chinese eggplant recipes ever! There are multiple versions of Eggplant cooked with garlic all over China, and in many parts it is mainly cooked with minced pork. The dish never fails to please me but I am always horrified by the amount of oil floating along the edge of the plate, and that is because the eggplant is always always deep-fried in these dishes.
Here is a much healthier, vegetarian version of the dish, where I simply pan-fry the eggplant until the flesh is a beautiful golden-brown all over. The sauce here is simply a mix of light soy sauce and Chinese black vinegar. Chinese black vinegar is also called Zhenjiang or Chingkiang vinegar and has a smoky, malty taste - simply replace it with rice vinegar if you can’t get your hands on it. This recipe is suitable for two if served as a side; I do enjoy it by itself with steamed jasmine rice though. To avoid conflict, you can double or even triple the ingredients to make more. Enjoy the recipe!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
250g eggplant, cut into long strips
2 cloves garlic finely, minced
1 bird’s eye chili, finely minced
1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 spring onion, bulbs and greens separated and chopped
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame, for garnish
Recipes
1. In a wok or frying pan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and swirl to coat pan. When hot, add eggplant in a single layer. Cook 2-3 minutes and flip over each piece so they cook evenly. Cook another 2-3 minutes, flipping occasionally, until soft and golden brown - set aside.
2. Add 1 tablespoon coconut oil in the same pan. Add garlic, chili, ginger and spring onion bulbs. Stir until fragrant (it’s ready when you start sneezing or coughing from the chili).
3. Add eggplant and stir-fry for another minute. Add soy sauce, black vinegar and sprinkle sugar and stir to combine all. Garnish with spring onion greens and toasted sesame - serve immediately.