Description
Enjoy a flavorful and spicy homemade Chinese Garlic Eggplant recipe that’s quick to prepare and packed with savory, spicy notes. This dish features tender, fried eggplant coated in a rich garlic sauce with a perfect balance of heat from dried chilies and chili flakes. Ideal for a satisfying dinner, this recipe combines simple ingredients with authentic Chinese flavors for a delightful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Eggplant and Coating
- 2 pieces Chinese eggplants (can substitute with Japanese or regular eggplant)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (for coating)
Frying and Sauce Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (for frying)
- 4 pieces dried red chilies (for heat)
- 2 slices ginger (fresh)
- 2 stalks green onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
Sauce Mix
- 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 all the ingredients and prepare the sauce mixture by combining soy sauce, oyster sauce, cold water, Shaoxing cooking wine, sugar, vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir until the sauce is smooth and set aside.
- Prepare Eggplant: Slice the unpeeled eggplants lengthwise into four long strips, then cut those strips into 2-inch pieces. Toss the cut eggplant thoroughly with cornstarch until each piece is well coated, which will help achieve a crispy texture when fried.
- Fry Eggplant: Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch-coated eggplant pieces into the hot oil and fry them for 6-8 minutes or until they become tender and slightly golden. Once cooked, remove the eggplants from the pan and set them aside on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Sauté Aromatics: Reduce the heat to low-medium and add any remaining vegetable oil to the pan. Quickly sauté the ginger slices, dried red chilies, and chopped green onions for about 10 seconds until they release their fragrant aroma, taking care not to burn them.
- Combine and Coat: Return the fried eggplant pieces to the pan. Pour the prepared sauce over the eggplants, gently tossing everything together to ensure the eggplants are evenly coated with the flavorful sauce. Heat through briefly, then remove from heat and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can substitute Chinese eggplants with Japanese or regular eggplants if unavailable, but Chinese eggplants tend to be sweeter and less bitter.
- For a vegetarian version, replace oyster sauce with vegetarian mushroom sauce.
- Adjust the quantity of dried red chilies and chili flakes to control the heat level according to your preference.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the pan when frying to ensure even cooking and crispiness.
- Serve this dish hot with steamed rice for a complete meal.
