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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Step 7
- Then, add ground pork. Break the pork up with a spoon and brown.
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.
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.
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Chinese Spicy Eggplant with Szechuan Inspired Sauce
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
Nutrition
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