The eggplant is grilled until crispy and smoky, and then cooked in a rich savory garlic sauce. This vegan dish is very satisfying, both as a side or a main dish served over rice or noodles. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}
Eggplant is a very tricky vegetable to cook. If you don’t season it properly, it will taste bitter or extremely plain. If you use too little oil, the texture will be mushy and create an awful mouthfeel. If you use too much oil, the eggplant might turn soggy and greasy.
If you don’t like cooking eggplant at home, you probably have some of the worries below:
- Eggplant is quite time consuming to cook, compared to the average vegetable.
- You’ll end up eating more calories without getting an impressive flavor.
That is why I’m posting this Chinese eggplant recipe today, to help you to create a wonderful eggplant dish nearly effortlessly.
This recipe offers the simplest way to cook a great eggplant dish without using too much oil, and avoids soggy and plain eggplant with the minimum needed cooking time.
How to make the perfect eggplant dish
The secret to getting perfect Chinese style eggplant involves two things.
- You have to prepare the eggplant properly before cooking in order to get the right texture.
- You need to make a sauce that is flavorful enough.
To prepare the eggplant, there are two ways to do it.
Before introducing the first method, I want to thank my friend Steve S. He taught me this method quite a long time ago, to prevent the eggplant from absorbing oil.
The method is:
- Spread the sliced eggplant on a towel.
- Sprinkle Kosher salt on both surfaces of the sliced eggplant.
- Allow to rest for 45-60 minutes.
- Pat each surface dry.
- Do not rinse the eggplant.
The second way is:
- Place the eggplant in a large bowl and add water to cover.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, mix well.
- Place a pot lid on top to keep the eggplant under water for 15 minutes.
- Drain and pat dry
The second method requires a bit more effort, but it saves a bit of time. Both ways yield great results.
Once you’ve finished either of the methods above, there is one more step – after the eggplant is completely dry, sprinkle cornstarch over it and mix by hand, until the eggplant is evenly coated with a thin layer of cornstarch.
Using this method, you can create crispy and nicely charred eggplant on the stovetop in 10 minutes. No need to turn on the oven to get the smoky flavor!
Creating a good sauce is really easy. Just mix everything together and pour it over the eggplant at the end of cooking.
More delicious eggplant recipes
- Szechuan spicy eggplant
- Steamed Eggplant in Nutty Sauce
- Crispy Eggplant with Szechuan Meat Sauce
- Di San Xian (Fried Potato, Eggplant and Pepper in Garlic Sauce 地三鲜)
- Grilled Eggplant with Yu Xiang Sauce (鱼香烤茄子)
Happy cooking and hope you enjoy the dish!
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce (红烧茄子)
Ingredients
- 2 (10 oz. / 300 g) small Chinese long eggplant , chopped to bite-size pieces (*Footnote 1)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Sauce (*footnote 2)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce (*see footnote 3)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Stir-fry
- 2 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 teaspoon ginger , minced
- 3 cloves garlic , chopped
Instructions
- (Option 1) Place eggplant in a large bowl and add water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon salt, mix well. Place a pot lid on top to keep the eggplant under water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
- (Option 2) Spread the sliced eggplant out on a paper towel. Sprinkle Kosher salt on both sides of the eggplant slices. Allow to rest for 45-60 minutes. Pat dry without rinsing.
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, mix well.
- Sprinkle eggplant with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and mix by hand, until eggplant is evenly coated with with a thin layer of cornstarch.
- Add 2 tablespoons oil to a big nonstick skillet and heat over medium high heat until hot. Spread eggplant across the bottom of the skillet without overlapping. Cook the eggplant one side at a time until all the surfaces are charred and the eggplant turns soft, 8 to 10 minutes in total. Transfer the eggplants to a plate. If the skillet gets too hot and starts to smoke, turn to medium heat.
- Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil, the ginger and garlic into the same skillet. Stir a few times until fragrant. Add all the eggplant back into the skillet. Mix the sauce again until cornstarch is fully dissolved and pour it over the eggplant. Immediately stir a few times, until the eggplant is evenly coated and the sauce thickens. Transfer everything to a big plate.
- Serve hot as a side or as main over steamed rice or noodles.
Notes
- You can use other type of eggplant and still generate crispy texture if following the method in this recipe. However, Asian long eggplant is the best option.
- This recipe uses very little sauce, just enough to coat the eggplant and make it tastes super flavorful. The rich sauce helps to keep the eggplant staying crispy. Be careful, the sauce will reduce very quickly once you add it to the pan. Stir immediately to coat the eggplant.
- The dark soy sauce will add color to the dish and make it look more appetizing. You can skip it if you don’t have any in your pantry.
How do i make it to where the eggplant is crispy on the outside but very mushy on the inside? I tried doing this dish but my eggplants were half mushy and the other half was spongy like dried apples xD
Hi Dianna, I’m sorry to hear the dish didn’t turn out as good as you hoped. To make truly crispy eggplant with mushy inside (like the ones in a restaurant), you need to deep fry the eggplant. It requires a lot of oil (although you can save the leftover oil to use later), so I don’t usually fry the eggplant for a simple dish like this. To solve the “dried apples” problem, I will add one or two more spoons oil while I grill different side of the eggplant (a bit more calories, but more delicious). So the surface won’t be too dry. The texture will become soft eventually if you cook long enough.
Hope this is helpful and looking forward to hear your feedback if you decide to cook this dish again 🙂
I’ve made this dish a few times now and I prefer to take the skin of the eggplant since it can be bitter and tough to chew…I add extra garlic, ginger and green onion (you can’t have too much of these!) and it is AWESOME! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks so much for taking time and leave the comments Emily! Wow, you tried many of the dishes! You just made my day 🙂
As for the eggplant, I’d remove the skin if I’m using the round or the fat eggplant. If you can get the long Asian eggplant, you’ll find the skin much tender and thin. 100% agree with the extra herbs. I always add plenty without measuring them (unless I’m developing a recipe)!
You’re the most welcome. Have a wonderful week Emily 🙂
I made this last night and LOVED it! I did add some ground pork in it. I will definitely make this again and again.
NO MORE frying eggplant in oil and end up with oily eggplant as it absorbs all the oil.
I’m so glad you like this dish Cathleen! Me too, I don’t fry eggplant anymore after I discovered this method. The ground pork sounds so delicious! Next time I’ll add some too 🙂
Having it now, amazing. Can’t believe something this good could be so easy. Thank you.
Thanks for letting me know Kate, and I’m so glad to hear you like the recipe! I agree, this dish is so easy to cook and the result is very rewarding!
Have a great day 🙂
Having it again tonight! It was really crispy outside and soft on the inside without using too much oil. Love it. Thanks again!
Sounds great! You’re the most welcome 🙂
Have a great weekend Kate!
I love eggplants and cook it often. It does take a little longer to cook but totally worth the effort. Your dish looks delicious.
Yeah, eggplant takes longer time than other veggies, but it’s very rewarding! Glad to hear you like this dish!
Thanks for the tips! I don’t know much about cooking eggplant but want to try making it more often so it’s good to know what not to do!
I love Chinese egfplant, and have tried several recipes like this, looking for just the right taste and texture. This one looked good, and I made it exactly as directed. This was the best Chinese eggplant I ever had! I can’t even think if a restaurant that could beat it. My husband likes it spicy, so I added some dried red chilis. He complained because there wasn’t more-that’s how much we ate! I’m making it again right now! Your technique of salting the egfplant and then adding the cornstarch makes all the difference. I’ll be sure to check out your other recipes. Thanks!!
Hi Frances, thanks so much for taking time and reporting back your cooking result! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy the dish! Adding chili pepper into it sounds very delicious! I do love my food spicy so I’d like to try it out next time too 🙂
Happy cooking and hopefully your other dishes will turn out great too!
I just came back here to check the recipe again, because I’m STILL making it! Love it! Thanks again!
I made this dish but only soaked the eggplant for 5 minutes in the water and then using tapioca starch. Works just as well. Thanks for the recipe!
Wow, that sounds great! Will try next time and see how it goes. Sorry I haven’t replied your email yet. Still remember it 🙂
Have a great start of the week Lizzie!
Eating this dish as a main right now, I used American eggplant and the skin is a bit too thick but otherwise it’s very very good. I’m going to get a Chinese eggplant next time I’m near the Asian markets, but I didn’t have time to go this week and I was eager to try it. Definitely one of my favorite dishes now.
I’m so glad to hear you like the dish! I use American eggplant quite often too, because it is a long trip to Asian market. Sometimes I use mini eggplants because the their skin is thinner. Asian eggplants definitely work better, because they also contain less water.
Hope you have a great weekend and happy cooking 🙂
I love eggplant but have only one or two recipes. I have been salting it for years, too. I usually make it Italian-style. Needed a new recipe! This sounds awesome.
Glad to hear you like the recipe Nanci! Happy cooking 🙂
This is a terrific recipe! I had an eggplant in my farm share that I didn’t know what to do with it. I made this and it was so good I bought several more eggplants.
So glad to hear you enjoyed the dish Peggy! It’s one of my favorite recipes too 🙂
Happy cooking and have a fantastic week!
Your blog is a superb source of inspiration! I love your recipe, it looks stunning and so flavourful!
Great recipe. Added a little oyster sauce and fish sauce to the gravy, halving the sugar. Carmelized a yellow onion first and stirred that in with the eggplant to balance the sweetness. Serve it over a nice hearty brown rice. Also quick boiled shrimp and stirred it in at the last second to add protein, texture and soak up all that delicious sauce. This is a keeper
Hi Glenn, I LOVE the addition of fish sauce and oyster sauce. It reminds me of a dish I had before. YUM! Also, great idea to add a protein towards the end. That makes it a full meal!
Thanks so much for sharing your ideas and I’m looking forward to trying it out 🙂
thanks for the idea to add shrimp 🙂 gonna make this tonight with zucchini and shrimp!
Well to update, it was really good! 🙂 Eggplant, onion, zucchini, and shrimp with rice since I wanted it to be a full meal. I tripled the sauce mixture. The only part that I wasn’t fond of was putting cornstarch on the eggplant, it didn’t seem to add anything and just stuck to my wok even in the oil. I’ll leave it out next time. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Steph, I’m glad to hear the dish turned out well! I always cook this dish in a nonstick skillet so I hadn’t come across the sticking issue. The reason I use cornstarch is it creates a slightly crispier texture. Sometimes when I want the eggplant extra crispy, I’d add more cornstarch and more oil (enough to cover the skillet) and the eggplant turns out as good as fried. But I agree with you, you can skip it if you simply stir fry the eggplant with other ingredients in a wok. Thanks for taking time to share your cooking experience 🙂
Tried this recipe… amazing! Thank you!
You’re the most welcome Irene! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the dish 🙂
Hi Maggie, this dish is dee-lish. Thanks so much for the recipe. I know my partner will love this when he gets back from a trip to U.S. I guess that means I’ll be making it again real soon. ?
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the dish Donna! I hope your partner will love it as well.
Happy cooking and hope you have a delicious week 🙂
Great recipe. Super easy. I added charred yellow bell peppers and a variety of mushrooms. I will definitely remake.
Hi Jane, thanks so much for trying out the recipe and taking time to leave a comment! This is one of my favorite dishes. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it too 🙂
Hi Maggie, I have been cooking so many different dishes lately that I have only just gotten back to your eggplant dish. I cooked it for my partner and he has declared this as his favourite dish ever and that he only wants to eat this from now on! ?He can’t stop raving about how awesome it is and how much he loves it. I guess I know what I’ll be doing with the other 2 eggplants in the fridge. By the way I loved it too!
I love this dish but don’t always find it in a Chinese restaurant so I thought I would try this recipe. It was brilliant. I added sliced red chilli because I like a little heat and also added a little more dark soya sauce (by mistake) than instructed but it worked very well. Also the shallow frying method after letting it sit for an hour in salt and covered with cornflour gave the aubs (eggplants to US residents) a perfect texture.
Hi Rahila, I’m glad to hear you tried out the recipe and enjoyed the dish! Adding red chili sounds so yummy, and a bit more dark soy sauce never hurts 🙂
Nowadays I use this method to cook almost all my eggplants and I love the texture too.
Hope you have a delicious week ahead!
nice use of eggplant and love the garlic sauce, thank you for this recipe!
Confusion: How much salt in water if using second method? Intro and ingredients list calls for 1/2 tsp but Step 2 calls for 1 tsp.
Hi Bert, sorry about the confusing salt quantity. It should be 1 teaspoon salt. I just updated the ingredient list.
Thank you for pointing it out!
Love this recipe for one of my favourite vegetables. As you have noted,it’s so easy to get aubergine(eggplant) wrong. You’re advice is informative, effective and remains interesting at the same time. Good job. And as a westerner I appreciate the nods to good brands/products to use. I was all LKK now having found and tried LAOGANMA,I look forward to the next tip. Keep it up.
Hi Jez, thanks so much for your kind words! So far this is one of my favorite ways to cook eggplant on stovetop. It works well every time 🙂
I’m glad you like the Lao Gan Ma sauce as well! It is quite addictive and I use it to cook veggies whenever I feel lazy. Because I don’t need to chop any aromatics and the dish will turn out amazing 🙂