Eggplant with tomato stir fry is a delightful summer dish that is perfect for a side and satisfying as a main. The eggplant is slightly charred, cooked with tender tomato in an aromatic savory brown sauce. It’s very easy to put together for your weekday dinner! {Vegetarian Adaptable, Gluten-Free Adaptable}
Eggplant is one of the most popular ingredients in Chinese cooking and there are so many ways to cook it. For example, the crowd pleaser eggplant with garlic sauce, the addictive yu xiang eggplant (Sichuan style eggplant), the easy and hearty mapo eggplant, the super fun fried stuffed eggplant, or the refreshing eggplant salad. And they all have different textures and flavors.
Today I want to share a very popular homestyle eggplant dish that you rarely see in the restaurant – stir fried eggplant with tomato.
The eggplant is pan fried until lightly charred and tender, and it is cooked with tomato in a savory, slightly tangy and sweet brown sauce. It is super easy to put together and bold in flavor. No matter if you’re serving it as a side or a main dish over steamed rice, this one is great for your weekday dinner.
Eggplant with tomato ingredients
What type of eggplant to use
For the best result, you should use Chinese eggplant or Japanese eggplant. These long and skinny eggplants contain less moisture than American and other Western eggplant. They char up beautifully in a stir fry and do not turn mushy easily.
You can easily find Chinese eggplant in Chinese and Japanese grocery stores, and at large Asian markets. You can also find it at many large grocery stores like Whole Foods, or at local vegetable markets when in season.
If you cannot find Chinese eggplant, you can also use American or Italian eggplant instead. The dish will have a slightly different texture but be delicious nonetheless.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
- Sliced eggplant
- Sliced tomato
- Mixed sauce
- Aromatics (green onion and garlic)
TIP
I used salted water to soak the eggplant first before cooking. This step will draw extra moisture from the eggplant so it will have a nicer mouthfeel after cooking. The water also prevents the eggplant flesh turning brown once cut. And the solution helps the eggplant to preserve its purple color during cooking.
How to make eggplant tomato stir fry
Making eggplant tomato stir fry is super easy:
- Pan fry the eggplant
- Saute the garlic and green onion
- Cook the tomato until tender
- Add back the eggplant and the sauce, mix together
Eggplant absorbs quite a lot of oil during cooking. I find using 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil is the sweet spot, that’s where the eggplant will sear properly without using too much oil. If you are concerned about oil consumption, you can also use oil spray instead. The oil spray ensures all the eggplants are properly coated with a minimal amount of oil so they won’t become too dry during cooking.
Once the dish is done, the tender eggplant and tomato are coated with the sticky brown sauce that is rich and full of fragrance. It is so delicious!
How to serve eggplant with tomato
Eggplant with tomato is a very satisfying veggie dish to serve over steamed rice as a main. If you’re making a multi-course dinner, you can also make this dish as a side. For a summer dinner, you can also make a noodle dish such as sesame noodles or cold chicken noodles, and use the eggplant with tomato as another topping to add more color to your meal.
Other delicious veggie recipes
- Steamed Enoki Mushrooms (蒜蓉金针菇)
- Chinese Chive and Egg (韭菜炒鸡蛋)
- Spicy Cucumber Salad
- Choy Sum with Garlic Sauce (白灼菜心)
- Pork Liver Soup with Spinach (猪肝菠菜汤)
- Chinese Zucchini Pancakes (糊塌子)
Eggplant with Tomato (西红柿炒茄子)
Ingredients
- 2 (1 lb / 450 g) Chinese eggplants , cut into large bite-size pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth (or use vegetable broth for a vegetarian dish)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Chinkiang vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Stir fry
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 cloves garlic , sliced
- 1 green onion , sliced
- 1 large tomato , sliced to large bite-size pieces
Instructions
- Add the sliced eggplant into a big bowl and water to cover. Add the 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir to dissolve completely. Let soak for 15 minutes while preparing the other ingredients. Once done, drain the eggplant, rinse again with cold tap water to remove any salt. Drain again and pat dry with paper towels.
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the eggplant. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant has lightly charred and softened. Transfer the eggplant to a big plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic and green onion. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
- Add the tomato. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes, until the tomato starts to break down. Then add back the eggplant.
- Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Pour into the pan. Stir and cook until the sauce thickens. Transfer everything to a plate and serve hot as a main or side dish.
