I learned that the tip to cooking stir-fried eggplant is to
get the water out. To get the water out, I tried the method of letting the
eggplant sit with salt for 45-60 min. There was a lot of moisture that came out
during this step. I didn’t have Chinese eggplant so I just used American
eggplant.
Here’s what I did:
1)
Peeled and sliced eggplant
2)
Placed cut eggplant on paper towels and
sprinkled with salt. Let it sit for 45- 60 min.
3)
Toss the eggplant with cornstarch
4)
Made sauce.
5)
Cooked the eggplant with some oil until soft. Removed
from heat.
6)
Sauteed chopped garlic and ginger with some oil.
Then added sauce and next the cooked eggplant.
7)
Cooked for a few additional minutes.
Chinese
Eggplant with Garlic Sauce (~Omnivore’s Cookbook)
The secret to
getting perfect Chinese style eggplant involves two things.
1.
You have to prepare the eggplant properly before
cooking in order to get the right texture.
2.
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 first 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
INGREDIENTS
2 (10 oz. / 300
g) small Chinese long eggplant , chopped to bite-size pieces (*Footnote 1) (used American eggplant)
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
1.
(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.
2.
(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. (used
this method)
3.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl,
mix well.
4.
Sprinkle eggplant with 1 tablespoon cornstarch
and mix by hand, until eggplant is evenly coated with with a thin layer of
cornstarch.
5.
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.
6.
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.
7.
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.
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