After having a delicious but simple eggplant dish at a Chinese restaurant, I decided to see if I could replicate this at home. I found a few recipes online but didn’t have some of the ingredients so this is my version of Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce.
Chinese Eggplant with spicy garlic sauce
1 medium eggplant or several smaller ones
1 spring onion
2 cloves garlic
1 red chilli
1/2 inch fresh ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
Oil
Chop eggplant into small pieces. If you like you can toss the eggplant in flour to give it a light coating and make it crispier when you fry it. I have tried it with and without flour, and I prefer it without as the flavours are absorbed better into the eggplant, but that’s totally up to you.
Chop spring onion. Remove seeds from chilli (unless you prefer it HOT) and finely chop. Peel and finely chop garlic. Peel and grate ginger.
Add 1 tbsp oil to a wok or frypan and swirl to coat pan. Heat pan on high heat and then add eggplant in a single layer. Cook 2 minutes and flip each piece over so they cook evenly. Cook another 2-3 minutes, flipping occasionally. The egg plant should have changed in color, the skin wrinkled and the flesh soft.
Push eggplant to the side in the pan and add 1 tbsp oil. Add garlic, chilli, ginger and spring onion and stir until they become fragrant. Combine with the eggplant and stir fry for one minute. Then add soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and sugar and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
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- Chop eggplant
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- Toss in flour (optional)
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- Chop spring onion
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- Cook eggplant until soft
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- Cook the spring onion, garlic and chilli
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- Stir ingredients together
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