Description
This homemade Chinese Spicy Garlic Eggplant recipe delivers tender, flavorful eggplant coated in a rich and aromatic garlic-chili sauce. Perfectly crispy on the outside and soft inside, it’s an ideal vegetarian main or side dish that comes together quickly in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Eggplant and Coating
- 2 pieces Chinese eggplants (can substitute with Japanese or regular eggplant)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (for coating)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (for frying)
Sauce and Aromatics
- 4 pieces dried red chilies (for heat)
- 2 slices ginger (fresh)
- 2 stalks green onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons regular soy sauce (or dark soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (can substitute with vegetarian sauce)
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or white/apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for thickening)
- 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes (to taste)
Instructions
- Preparation: Gather and prepare all ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauces, oyster sauce, cold water, Shaoxing cooking wine, sugar, vinegar, and cornstarch until the sauce is smooth and well combined. Set this sauce mixture aside for later use.
- Slice Eggplants: Slice the unpeeled eggplant lengthwise into four quarters, then chop those strips into 2-inch pieces. Toss the pieces with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch until they are evenly coated; this helps create a slightly crispy texture when frying.
- Fry Eggplants: Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the coated eggplant pieces and fry for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become tender and slightly crispy on the outside. Once cooked, remove the eggplants from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Reduce the heat to low-medium and add any remaining vegetable oil to the pan. Sauté the ginger slices, dried red chilies, and chopped green onions for about 10 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn the aromatics.
- Combine and Toss: Return the pre-fried eggplant pieces to the pan. Pour the prepared sauce over the eggplants and gently toss everything together until the eggplants are well coated with the sauce. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and flavors to meld. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can substitute Chinese eggplants with Japanese or regular eggplant, but Chinese eggplants tend to be sweeter and less bitter.
- Adjust the amount of dried red chilies and crushed red chili flakes according to your preferred spice level.
- Use vegetarian oyster sauce to make this dish suitable for vegetarians.
- Serve with steamed rice for a complete meal.
- Prepare the sauce ahead of time to speed up cooking.
