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Home » Main course

Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce

Published: Apr 16, 2022 by Vandana Chauhan. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce- a very easy and tasty Asian-style eggplant dish that is enjoyed by even those who don't like this vegetable. The combination of stir-fried eggplants in a flavorful garlic sauce is something every Asian food lover must try.

eggplant in garlic sauce served on a black plate.

Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce is my favorite Asian stir fry recipe.

I tried this dish for the first time in Vietnam around three years back. There it was served to us almost every single day at least once because of the limited meat-free options available in the Vietnamese cuisine.

It was so good that we didn't get bored of it even after having it daily for around 2 weeks continuously.

Another two vegan dishes on which we survived in Vietnam are tofu in tomato sauce and Vietnamese morning glory.

All these dishes are regularly cooked in my kitchen now. This is my favorite part of traveling, bringing the local cuisine from different countries to my kitchen.

Jump to:
  • What goes in Chinese garlic eggplant?
  • Ingredient notes
  • How to make (step by step instructions)?
  • Serving tips
  • Storing tips
  • How to reheat?
  • Recipe tips and tricks
  • Frequently asked questions
  • More eggplant recipes from around the world
  • More vegan stir fry recipes
  • Recipe

What goes in Chinese garlic eggplant?

To make eggplant in garlic sauce, you will need the ingredients shown below:

Ingredients for Asian garlic eggplant labelled

Ingredient notes

  • Eggplant: Use Chinese or Japanese eggplants which are long in shape and have fewer seeds.
  • Scallion: Spring onion can be used too.
  • Roasted peanuts: Instead of peanuts, cashew nuts can also be used.

How to make (step by step instructions)?

collage of steps 1 to 6 of garlic eggplant recipe

Step 1: Cut eggplants into bite-size pieces.

Step 2: In a large bowl, mix salt and water.

Step 3: Put chopped eggplant pieces in the salted water.

Step 4: Put a small heavy plate on top of eggplant pieces so that instead of floating on the surface they remain submerged in water.

Step 5: Keep them like this for around 15 minutes and then drain the water.

Step 6: Pat dry with a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture.

collage of steps 7 to 12 of garlic eggplant recipe

Steps 7 and 8: Put the eggplant cubes in a large bowl and add around 2 tablespoons of corn starch.

Steps 9 and 10: Gently toss until the corn starch evenly coats the eggplant pieces.

Step 11: Heat vegetable or peanut oil in a pan/ cooking pot with a flat base. Spread the eggplant cubes in a single layer on it.

Step 12: Nicely cook from all the sides until they turn golden brown. It will take around 15 minutes.

collage of steps 13 to 18 of garlic eggplant recipe

Step 13: In the same pot add chopped ginger, garlic, and hot red chilies and saute for about a minute.

Step 14: In a small bowl mix soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, and corn starch.

Step 15: Add the sauce mix to the pan.

Steps 16 and 17: Keep stirring until the sauce thickens.

collage of steps 19 to 24 of garlic eggplant recipe.

Step 19: Add stir-fried eggplant pieces and some chopped scallion to the sauce.

Steps 20 and 21: Gently mix until the sauce evenly coats the eggplant pieces.

Steps 22, 23, and 24: Add remaining chopped scallion, hot red chili peppers, roasted peanuts, and sesame seeds.

Your delicious Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce is to ready to be enjoyed.

A piece of garlic eggplant lifted with chopsticks over a plate of the dish.

Serving tips

We were always served this garlic eggplant stir fry with jasmine rice on the side. You can also have it with sticky rice.

If you prefer noodles, enjoy it with a noodle dish.

It can also be served as an appetizer with a simple soy sauce dip on the side.

Storing tips

To store, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.

How to reheat?

To reheat either microwave or heat around a teaspoon of oil in a pan and quickly stir fry the garlic eggplant again for around 2-3 minutes.

Recipe tips and tricks

  • Pick eggplants with fewer seeds to make this Asian eggplant stir fry.
  • Always stir fry on high flame.
  • As the cooking is done on high flame, keep all the ingredients ready and near the stove.
  • Handle the eggplant pieces gently otherwise, they will break. Also, use chopsticks or a pair of tongs to move them in the pan.
  • While stir-frying, spread the eggplant pieces in a single layer so that they get cooked evenly.
  • Eggplants absorb a lot of oil, so don't add too much oil to stir fry them. They will soak it all.
  • If the saltiness of soy sauce is not sufficient for you in the dish, add some salt too.
  • For a hotter version, you may add some hot sauce and chili flakes to the sauce.
  • For extra flavor, vegan or vegetarian oyster sauce can also be added to the dish.

Frequently asked questions

Can this dish be made with any other variety of eggplant?

Chinese or Japanese eggplants are the best for this recipe. However, if you could not find it, use any other variety with soft skin and fewer seeds.

How to create a gluten-free version of this dish?

The only ingredient which is not suitable for a gluten-free diet in this dish is soy sauce. So to make a gluten-free version, replace soy sauce with tamari.

Why is eggplant soaked in salted water?

There are a lot of reasons for soaking eggplant in salted water. First, it helps in getting rid of the bitterness of Chinese eggplant, if any.
It also helps in getting rid of the excess water content of the eggplant which helps it to retain its shape on getting stir-fried.
This step also helps in avoiding eggplant soaking excess oil.

More eggplant recipes from around the world

Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables since childhood. If you also love eggplants and looking for more easy eggplant recipes from around the world, don't miss checking the following links:

  1. Eggplant pasta
  2. Aloo baingan (curried eggplant with potatoes)
  3. Armenian eggplant salad
  4. Baba Ganoush
  5. Baingan ka bharta

More vegan stir fry recipes

Looking for more easy vegan stir fry recipes? The following links are worth trying:

  1. Broccoli in garlic sauce
  2. Lemongrass tofu
  3. Tofu broccoli in peanut sauce
  4. Sweet and sour tofu
  5. Thai mushrooms
Garlic eggplant stir fry with rice in a bowl

If you try any of my recipes, please rate ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ it on the recipe card and also leave your feedback in the comments section below. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and subscribe to my youtube channel.

Recipe

Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce served on a black plate.

Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce

Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce- a very easy and tasty Asian style eggplant dish that is enjoyed by even those who don't like this vegetable. The combination of stir-fried eggplants in a flavorful garlic sauce is something every Asian food lover must try.
4.58 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 134kcal
Author: Vandana Chauhan

Equipment

  • Cooking pot

Ingredients

Ingredients for the sauce

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch

Other ingredients

  • 4-5 large Chinese or Japanese eggplants around 5 cups chopped eggplant
  • 4-5 garlic cloves finely chopped (adjust to taste)
  • 1 inch ginger piece finely chopped
  • 1 Thai/ any hot chili pepper finely chopped
  • 2 stalks scallion finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons peanut/ vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Water to soak eggplants

Ingredients for garnishing

  • 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
  • ½ tablespoon Toasted white sesame seeds
  • Chopped scallion

Instructions

  • Wash the eggplants and cut into bite size cubes.
  • In a large bowl mix salt and water. Put the eggplant cubes. Put a small plate on top of the eggplants to make sure they remain submerged in the water. Keep them like this for around 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, discard the water and pat dry the eggplant cubes with a clean kitchen towel.
  • Put the eggplant cubes in a large bowl and add around 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Gently toss until the corn starch evenly coats the eggplant pieces.
  • Heat oil in a pan or cooking pot with a flat base. Spread the eggplant cubes in a single layer on it. Nicely cook from all the sides until they turn golden brown. It will take around 15 minutes.
  • Take out the eggplant pieces on a plate.
  • In the same pan add chopped ginger, garlic, and hot red chilies. Saute for about a minute.
  • In a bowl mix all the sauce ingredients and add to the pan. Continuously stir and cook until the corn starch thickens.
  • Add cooked eggplants and some scallion. Mix everything and cook for another minute.
  • Garnish with roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, and remaining scallion. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Use chopsticks or tongs to handle the eggplant otherwise, it will break.
  2. Make a single layer of eggplants so that they get evenly cooked.
  3. Don't overcook them otherwise they will turn mushy.
  4. You may add some salt to the sauce if the saltiness of soy sauce is not enough for you.
  5. More recipe tips and tricks are given within the post above. Please follow them to make this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1458mg | Potassium: 613mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 112IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Tag me on instagram #greenbowl2soul

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Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog. My name is Vandana Chauhan and I am on a mission to explore vegan/ vegetarian recipes from around the world. I am delighted to welcome you to join me on this exciting journey.

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