Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce recipe
Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce made in one pan with a little ground pork and a savory-tangy two-vinegar sauce. No deep-frying needed.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the eggplants:
- 1 lb Chinese eggplants 2 long eggplants
- 3 cups water
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 2-2.5 tbsp tapioca starch
For the ground meat:
- 3 tbsp avocado oil divided
- 0.5 lb ground pork
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- 0.8 oz garlic cloves finely minced, 5 large
- 5 whole Chinese dry red chili peppers
- 2 bulb spring onions diced
For the garlic sauce:
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar or more to taste
- 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 0.5 oz garlic clove grated, 3 large
Instructions
Prepare Chinese eggplants:
- Slice off the tip ends of the eggplants. Rinse and pat dry. Slice the eggplant crosswise into 2.5-inch sections then quarter each section lengthwise.
- Soaking: In a large bowl, add the eggplants and fill the bowl with tap water. Place a plate up-side-down on top of the eggplants to help them submerge under the water. Soak for 10 minutes. After soaking, pat them dry and toss them with starch.
Aromatics and Garlic sauce:
- In the meantime, prepare the garlic, set aside red chilies, and combine the garlic sauce in a measuring cup.
Cook the ground meat:
- In a well-heated large non-stick saute pan, add 1 tbsp oil, fry the meat over medium-high heat until it’s cooked through and break up to fine pieces, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and cooking wine, and add-in the garlic and dry chilies. Fry the ground meat for 1 more minute.
Fry the eggplant:
- Push the pork to the sides of the pan to clear the center. Add the eggplant to the center with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season with another pinch of salt. Fry over medium-high heat for 3 minutes total, about 1½ minutes per side.
Add the garlic sauce:
- Pour in the garlic sauce. Gently push the eggplants down to touch the liquid. Cover with a lid. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the eggplants are soft and cooked through, stirring every 2 minutes. Turn off the meat.
Serving:
- Transfer them to a large serving bowl and garnish with scallions. Serve warm with a bowl of steamed rice.
Video
Notes
- Why soak the eggplant: Soaking it in vinegar water helps reduce oil absorption and retain more of its purple color.
- Other eggplant types: Italian or graffiti eggplant are less sweet, with thicker flesh and more seeds. After cutting, salt for 15 minutes, then pat dry before cooking. You may need a little more sugar to balance the sauce.
- Gluten-free substitutes: Use gluten-free mirin as a 1:1 substitute for Chinese cooking wine. Many Chinese black vinegar brands contain wheat, so check the label or use aged balsamic vinegar. Because aged balsamic is sweeter, taste the sauce before adding more sugar. Avoid regular balsamic, which is sharper and lacks the depth of aged balsamic.
- Make ahead and storage: The garlic sauce can be made 1 to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating: Microwave on medium power for 1½ to 2 minutes, stirring halfway through, or warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Stir carefully so the softened eggplant does not break apart.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 857mg | Potassium: 558mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 368IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg
