Sweet, tangy and spicy, this Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce is sure to be your new favorite dinner recipe. Serve it with rice or noodles for a healthy vegan dinner that the whole family will love. And, it takes under 30 minutes to make!
Jump to:
The next time you need an easy, flavorful main course dish, look no further than eggplant with garlic sauce. You probably have most of the ingredients to make this classic Chinese recipe in your pantry.
The great thing about eggplant is that it soaks up flavors so readily. It's one of my favorite veggies to cook with because it's so versatile. From Turkish eggplant to Lebanese fatteh, the humble eggplant pops up in dishes worldwide. And, China is no exception. That's why I'm excited to share this iconic Chinese dish. I guarantee that you'll love it!
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
✅It's ready in 30 minutes.
✅There's no complicated ingredients.
✅You can easily adjust the spice levels to suit your preference.
✅It's vegan, and can easily be made gluten free.
Ingredients
- Eggplant: Choose eggplants that are firm and heavy. Avoid eggplants that are wrinkly, bruised or soft.
- Sriracha Sauce: Any kind of chili garlic sauce will work. Sambal Oelek also works well here.
- Mirin: Mirin often gets confused with rice wine vinegar. The difference is that mirin adds a sweeter flavor. However, rice wine vinegar will still work, if that's what you have on hand.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger is part of the magic of eggplant with garlic sauce. It has a pungent and spicy flavor that can't be replaced with dried ginger powder.
- Vegetable Broth: Vegetable broth adds more flavor to the sauce. You can use real vegetable stock or a bouillon cube.
- Garlic: There's no eggplant with garlic sauce without garlic. You can use more or less than indicated in the recipe depending on your preference.
- Green Onion: Green onions add a pop of freshness and a grassy flavor.
- Red Pepper: Red peppers add a bit of sweetness and color.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is the base of the garlic sauce. You can also use tamari if you're looking to make this dish gluten free.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is a refined sugar free alternative to the granulated sugar you normally find garlic sauce.
- Cornstarch: We'll be making a cornstarch slurry with the cornstarch. This is what will thicken the sauce.
- Vegetable Oil: The best choice for stir frying is canola oil, peanut oil or soybean oil.
How To Make Eggplant With Garlic Sauce
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
- Top and tail the eggplant and cut into ½ inch cubes. Boil for 2 minutes.
- While your eggplant is boiling, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Make the cornstarch slurry and set aside.
- Remove the eggplant from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel lined plate.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large saute pan. Saute the red pepper for two minutes.
- Add your garlic, ginger and green onions to the pan and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add your eggplant, tossing it until it's coated in the garlic and ginger. Saute for a further minute.
- Pour your sauce over the eggplant and stir fry for an additional minute.
- Add the cornstarch slurry and keep stirring until the sauce has thickened and is heated through.
- Eggplant with garlic sauce can be served on it's own, or with rice or noodles.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If so, I'd love to see it. Tag me on Instagram @thisdailydish. Or, leave me a comment below. It makes my day, and your feedback helps other readers!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you don't need to peel eggplant. In fact, it holds it's shape better when it's unpeeled.
Absolutely. Cooked eggplant freezes really well. Store it in an airtight container or a freezer bag for up to 4 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat in a saute pan.
Craving More Easy Vegan Recipes?
Chinese Salt And Pepper Chips - Oven and Air Fryer Method
How To Prepare and Cook Shiitake Mushrooms
Recipe
Eggplant With Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
For Th Eggplant
- 2 eggplants cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 red pepper finely chopped
- 1 green onion finely minced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
For The Sauce
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin or rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
Cornstarch Slurry
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
- Top and tail the eggplant and cut into ½ inch cubes. Boil for 3 minutes.
- While the eggplant is boiling, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Make the cornstarch slurry and set aside.
- Remove the eggplant from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel lined plate.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large saute pan. Saute the red pepper for 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger and green onions to the pan and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the eggplant, tossing it until it's coated in the garlic and ginger. Saute for a further 2 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the eggplant and stir fry for an additional minute.
- Add the cornstarch slurry and keep stirring until the sauce has thickened and is heated through.
Leave a Reply