Chinese Eggplant
Chinese eggplant in Szechuan pepper sauce. This can be also made with chilli garlic sauce alternatively.
Servings: 2
Equipment
- wok
Ingredients
- 14 oz Chinese eggplant
- 5 - 7 pods garlic minced
- ½ inch ginger minced
- 3 - 4 dry red chili
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
Sauce
- ½ tsp Szechuan peppers or black peppers
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp chilli sauce or chilli flakes
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp Shaoxing cooking wine (optional)
- ½ tsp black bean sauce
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 3 - 4 tbsp water
Garnish
- 3 - 4 green onion stalks
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp red chilli flakes
Instructions
Prepare the sauce
- In a pan roast Szechuan peppers for 2 - 3 minutes.
- Transfer to a clean plate and grind coarse using a mortar and pastel.
- In a clean mixing bowl, add all ingredients mentioned above in ingredients list under Szechuan sauce.
Prepare the eggplants
- Wash, clean and remove crown of the eggplants.
- Slice the eggplants in equal sizes (approximately).
- Sprinkle salt and let it sit for a while.
- Remove the pieces to a clean bowl.
- Sprinkle some corn starch and mix gently.
- Heat oil in a pan or skillet.
- Place the eggplants and cook on medium flame till all sides are cooked well and charred.
- Remove once done and place on a kitchen towel.
Cook the Szechuan garlic sauce
- In the same pan, add some more oil if required.
- Sauté dry chilies, ginger and garlic till garlic starts to change color.
- Then add prepared sauce and bring it to a boil.
- When it starts to boil, add fried eggplants.
- Mix them nicely and simmer for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add green onions and turn off heat.
- Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Reduce the chili if you want mild spicy.
Add 8 - 10 tbsp water to the sauce for a dish with little gravy. Increase cornstarch to 2 tsp. Simmer until you get desired consistency.