Quick & Easy Chinese Spicy Garlic Eggplant
Tender eggplant cooked in a spicy, savory garlic sauce with aromatic red chilies, scallions, and ginger. This quick and easy Chinese spicy garlic eggplant recipe is ready in 30 minutes with simple ingredients. A great side that is family-friendly and restaurant-quality!
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 lb Chinese eggplant (or Japanese eggplant)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch (or potato starch)
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
- 10 dried red chilies (or 2 chopped fresh large red chilies )
- 5 slices ginger (peeled)
- 1 green onion (finely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tbsp regular soy sauce (or light soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (or vegetarian stir-fry sauce)
- 1 tbsp water (cold)
- 1 tsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine (or dry sherry wine / dry white wine / chicken broth)
- 1 tsp white granulated sugar (or cane sugar)
- 1 tsp rice vinegar (or white vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (or potato starch)
- 1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes (or gochugaru / red pepper flakes / chili oil)
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- 2
Vertically slice the unpeeled eggplant into four quarters, so you have four long strips. Then chop the strips into 2-inch-long pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add cornstarch and toss until eggplant is evenly coated.
- 3
Heat 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Gently fry the coated eggplant until tender and about 90% cooked. Remove and set aside.
- 4
Reduce to low-medium heat. Add remaining vegetable oil and sauté ginger, red chilies and green onions for 10 seconds.
- 5
Add eggplant and the sauce, and gently toss until evenly coated. Remove from heat and enjoy!