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    Home » Main Course

    Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce

    Published: Jan 17, 2023 by Diana Reis · This post may contain affiliate links

    ↓ Jump to Recipe

    This easy Chinese Eggplant recipe is the perfect dish for eggplant lovers. It has amazing aromatics, crispy bits of ground pork, and a bit of heat. The best part is the velvety  texture of the spicy garlic sauce that sticks to every bite. 

    close up Chinese Eggplant in large wok

    Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables and one of my favorite dishes to order when we go out to Chinese Restaurants. The tender eggplant and spicy sauce are such a great combination. I had to find a way to approximate this at home so I could have it more often.

    I have some great tips and some helpful substitutions to help you make this delicious Chinese eggplant recipe perfect every time.

    Contents hide
    Ingredients
    How to Make It
    Diana’s Tips for Success
    Related Recipes
    📖 Recipe
    Chinese Spicy Eggplant with Szechuan Inspired Sauce
    Spicy Garlic Sauce

    Ingredients

    Chinese eggplant and spicy garlic sauce ingredients

    Chinese Eggplant - This makes up the bulk of the dish and is the best eggplant for this recipe. Chinese eggplants are distinct in having thin skin, tender flesh, and fewer seeds. They have a very mild flavor and are easy to cook with. You can use Japanese Eggplants or even globe eggplants. The globe eggplants have more seeds and thicker skin, so I suggest peeling some of the skin to expose more flesh and prevent tough to chew pieces. 

    Thai Red Chili- This is a spicy, fresh red chili that keeps its bright red color when cooked and has a nice deep flavor. You can adjust the spice level by adding more or less of the red chili.

    Dark Soy Sauce- if you have cooked with dark soy sauce, you are in for a treat. The flavor is much more rich and full than light soy. If you have tried to recreate Chinese food at home and found the dishes lacking, this is probably what you are missing.

    Mirin- This is cooking wine that has a sweet taste. It is another element that adds great depth of flavor. 

    Substitutions

    You may need to make some simple substitutions depending on the availability of certain items in your local grocery stores. It is worth it to take a trip to the Asian markets near you to stock up on some cooking essentials.

    You can use Japanese eggplant or even globe eggplant. The globe eggplants have more seeds and thicker skin that has a slightly bitter taste, so I suggest peeling some of the skin to expose more flesh, remove some bitterness, and prevent tough to chew pieces. 

    The Thai chilis can be replaced by a red Fresno chili or green serrano chilis.

    Shaoxing Wine or Dry Sherry are good substitutes for Mirin.

    Balsamic vinegar can be used in place of black vinegar. Add an extra ½ teaspoon of sugar.

    Chinese Spicy Eggplant with Szechuan Inspired Sauce

    How to Make It

    Step 1

    • Start by cubing the eggplant into two inch pieces. Cut in half lengthwise and then cut into cubes.
    Sliced eggplant

    Step 2

    • Place them into a large bowl and add a teaspoon of kosher salt to the eggplant. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Then pat them dry with a paper towel. This will help remove some excess moisture and make the pieces easier to fry.
    • Coat the eggplant pieces in corn starch and set aside.
    drained eggplant coated with cornstarch in large bowl

    Step 3

    • Next, put together your aromatics in a small bowl. Grate ginger and garlic. Then add chopped green onions, basil, cilantro, and diced red peppers. 
    chopped aromatics in small bowl

    Step 4

    • Put together the spicy garlic sauce by grating garlic and ginger in another small bowl. Then add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch. Always add cornstarch to cool liquids and dissolve completely.
    spicy garlic sauce in small bowl

    Step 5

    • Heat up a wok or large skillet and make sure that all of your ingredients are close at hand.
    • Once the wok is hot, add ¼ Cup of canola oil and let it get hot as well. 
    • When the oil is hot, add the cornstarch coated eggplant pieces and start frying. Gently toss the eggplant in the oil making sure that all of the pieces get a nice coating of fat and start to brown. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the eggplant is browed and tender.
    • Remove the eggplant pieces from the wok and set them on a plate lined with a paper towel. 
    cubed eggplant pieces in wok with hot oil

    Step 6

    • Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil to the wok, then add your aromatics and toss in the hot oil to release their flavor. Let cook for 1-2 minutes.
    aromatics in hot oil

    Step 7

    • Then, add ground pork. Break the pork up with a spoon and brown.
    aromatics and ground pork in wok

    Step 8

    • Add the eggplant back to the wok and toss all of the ingredients together.
    • Finally, add the spicy garlic sauce and gently toss the stir-fry in it. Let it come to a low simmer and thicken. It should fully coat all of the eggplant pieces and get a little bit thick and sticky from the cornstarch activating.
    eggplant and spicy garlic sauce in wok with aromatics and ground pork

    Serve this delicious Chinse Eggplant as a main course over steamed white rice.

    Diana’s Tips for Success

    Make sure you have all of your ingredients ready to go before you start cooking. Stir-frying is a hot, fast cooking process and you don’t have time to prep between steps. If everything from the eggplant to the final sauce are prepped ahead you can focus your attention on the super hot wok or skillet.

    bowl of eggplant over white rice with wok in background

    Related Recipes

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    • Bacon Fried Rice
    • Broccoli Lo-Mein Sheet Pan Dinner

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    📖 Recipe

    featured image Chinese eggplant recipe

    Chinese Spicy Eggplant with Szechuan Inspired Sauce

    This spicy eggplant recipe is has the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and spicy. The the tender eggplant soaks up the chili garlic sauce and is perfect over a simple bowl of steamed white rice.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course, Main Dish
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 Servings
    Calories: 347kcal
    Author: Diana Reis

    Ingredients

    • 2 Eggplant Chinese cut into 2 inch cubes, 4-5 Cups
    • ¼ Cup Corn Starch
    • ½ Cup Ground Pork
    • ¼ Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
    • 1 Teaspoon Ginger grated,
    • 1 Teaspoon Garlic grated, 2-3 cloves
    • ¼ Cup Green Onion
    • 2 Tablespoon Basil chopped
    • 2 Tablespoon Cilantro chopped
    • 1 Tablespoon Thai Red Chili Peppers seeded and diced

    Spicy Garlic Sauce

    • ½ Cup Light Soy Sauce
    • ½ Cup Dark Soy Sauce
    • 1 Teaspoon Garlic grated,2-3 cloves
    • 1 Teaspoon Ginger grated
    • 1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
    • 3 Tablespoons Mirin or Dry Sherry
    • 3 Tablespoons Black Vinegar substitute balsamic + ½ teaspoon sugar
    • 2 Tablespoons Sugar
    • 1 ½ Teaspoons Cornstarch

    Instructions

    • Start by cubing the eggplant into two inch pieces. Cut in half lengthwise and then cut into cubes.
    • Place them into a large bowl and add a teaspoon of kosher salt to the eggplant. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Then pat them dry with a paper towel. This will help remove some excess moisture and make the pieces easier to fry.
    • Coat the eggplant pieces in corn starch and set aside.
    • Next, put together your aromatics in a small bowl. Grate ginger and garlic. Then add chopped green onions, basil, cilantro, and diced red peppers.
    • Put together the spicy garlic sauce by grating garlic and ginger in another small bowl. Then add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch. Always add cornstarch to cool liquids and dissolve completely.
    • Heat up a wok or large skillet and make sure that all of your ingredients are close at hand.
    • Once the wok is hot, add ¼ Cup of canola oil and let it get hot as well.
    • When the oil is hot, add the cornstarch coated eggplant pieces and start frying. Gently toss the eggplant in the oil making sure that all of the pieces get a nice coating of fat and start to brown. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the eggplant is browed and tender.
    • Remove the eggplant pieces from the wok and set them on a plate lined with a paper towel.
    • Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil to the wok, then add your aromatics and toss in the hot oil to release their flavor. Let cook for 1-2 minutes.
    • Then, add ground pork. Break the pork up with a spoon and brown.
    • Add the eggplant back to the wok and toss all of the ingredients together.
    • Finally, add the spicy garlic sauce and gently toss the stir-fry in it. Let it come to a low simmer and thicken. It should fully coat all of the eggplant pieces and get a little bit thick and sticky from the cornstarch activating.
    • Serve this delicious Chinse Eggplant as a main course over steamed white rice.

    Notes

    Substitutions
    You may need to make some simple substitutions depending on the availability of certain items in your local grocery stores. It is worth it to take a trip to the Asian markets near you to stock up on some cooking essentials.
    You can use Japanese eggplant or even globe eggplant. The globe eggplants have more seeds and thicker skin that has a slightly bitter taste, so I suggest peeling some of the skin to expose more flesh, remove some bitterness, and prevent tough to chew pieces.
    The Thai chilis can be replaced by a red Fresno chili or green serrano chilis.
    Shaoxing Wine or Dry Sherry are good substitutes for Mirin. Balsamic vinegar can be used in place of black vinegar. Add an extra ½ teaspoon of sugar.
    Tips for Success
    Make sure you have all of your ingredients ready to go before you start cooking. Stir-frying is a hot, fast cooking process and you don’t have time to prep between steps. If everything from the eggplant to the final sauce are prepped ahead you can focus your attention on the super hot wok or skillet.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 3481mg | Potassium: 509mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 192IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 2mg
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    Comments

      5 from 6 votes (1 rating without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Shelby says

      March 09, 2023 at 8:56 pm

      5 stars
      This is an incredible tasting meal, and it's really all about that sauce. Yum!

      Reply
    2. Carrie Robinson says

      March 09, 2023 at 9:12 pm

      5 stars
      I just love eggplant, but I don't think I have ever had it this way before! That sauce sounds absolutely delicious. 🙂

      Reply
    3. Heidy says

      March 09, 2023 at 9:13 pm

      5 stars
      I love Chinese Eggplant!! I can not wait to sink my teeth into this recipe! I have been dying for Chinese Eggplant, so it's awesome that I found your recipe on Pinterest.

      Reply
    4. Alison Saalbach Corey says

      March 09, 2023 at 9:17 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is perfect for spicy lovers. Thank you for sharing another option for preparing eggplant recipes. Can't wait to try this very soon. Amazing!

      Reply
    5. Nathan says

      March 09, 2023 at 9:21 pm

      5 stars
      This looks like a fantastic eggplant dish! Can't wait to try it out, I'm always a fan of a Szechuan sauce.

      Reply
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    I’m passionate about the family dinner table. Connecting with each other at the end of the day over a good meal creates strong family bonds and healthy long-lasting relationships. I want to help families and friends build those relationships.

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