Roasted Chinese eggplant recipe (with maple tahini sauce)
Roasted Chinese eggplant is an easy delicious side dish with perfectly caramelized eggplants, tossed in a creamy Asian-inspired sauce. This is a great side dish for everyday as well as the holiday season!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Chinese eggplants about 3 long eggplants
- ¾ tsp coarse sea salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 bulb scallion chopped
- Sprinkle toasted white sesame seeds
- Sprinkle gochugaru flakes (Korean red pepper flakes) optional
Maple-Tahini Sauce:
- 2 tbsp tahini unsalted
- 0.2 oz. clove garlic grated, 1 medium, or ½ tsp garlic granule
- 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
- ⅛ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
- 1-2 tbsp water or more to thin, add ½ tbsp a time until desired consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Cut the eggplant into wedges by first holding your knife at a 45-degree angle and making a 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) long cut. Then, continue to roll the ingredient 90 degrees and make cuts of the same width and angle until it is all cut.
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the eggplants and season with salt, garlic powder, cumin, and 3 tbsp oil. Use your hands to coat them well on all sides and spread them out into a single layer. I recommend wearing a cooking glove to do this.
- Roast the eggplants for 15 minutes on medium rack. In the meantime, combine the sauce in a separate bowl.
- Remove the sheet pan and drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp oil over the eggplants. Gently toss everything again. Take care not to smash the eggplants. Send them back to roast for 5 more minutes.
- The eggplants should be perfectly tender and soft on the inside and a little crisp on some parts of the skin. Transfer the eggplants to a large serving bowl and garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and gochugaru, if using.
- Before serving, drizzle with a few tablespoons of the tahini sauce over the eggplants and serve the extra sauce on the side. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Different types of eggplants: My second best choice is Japanese eggplants, as they also have thinner skin and fewer seeds. Both graffiti eggplants (striped eggplants), and Globe eggplants work too, but they require a longer time to roast because of their thicker skin.
- Spice variation: Vary the level of spice with a touch of red pepper flakes or smoked paprika. You can even use gochujang to make a gochujang-glazed eggplant.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 593mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg