Chinese Eggplant With Garlic Sauce Eggplant Stir Fry Food

CHINESE EGGPLANT IN GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Add 3/4 cup of water and the cornstarch to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin, vinegar, Chinese five spice, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine and set aside.
• To prepare the eggplant, slice the ends off of an eggplant. Slice into thirds horizontally, so you have 3 cylinders. Slice each cylinder lengthwise into quarters, so you have sticks. Repeat with remaining eggplants.
• Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add half of the eggplant, season with salt and pepper, and cook until charred and softened, about 7 - 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with remaining half.
• Deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of water, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Pour into the bowl with the eggplant.
• Lower the heat to medium and add about a teaspoon of oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and scallions and sauté for 30 - 60 seconds.
• Give the sauce mixture a good whisk and pour into the skillet. Let simmer until thickened, about 1 - 2 minutes.
• Add the eggplant and chili oil to the skillet. Season with salt. Stir to combine and let cook for 5 - 7 minutes so the eggplant can absorb all the flavors.
• Garnish with sliced scallions.

CHINESE EGGPLANT WITH GARLIC SAUCE (红烧茄子)

Steps:

• (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.
• (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.
• Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, mix well.
• Sprinkle eggplant with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and mix by hand, until eggplant is evenly coated with with a thin layer of cornstarch.
• 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.
• 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.
• Serve hot as a side or as main over steamed rice or noodles.

CHINESE EGGPLANT WITH GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
• Wash the eggplants, cut the ends off and slice them into equal sized pieces. After slicing, separate the green and white portions of the scallions into roughly two piles.
• Over very high heat, heat a tablespoon of oil in your wok. Add half of the eggplant and let it sear until brown on all sides. You can lower the heat if it looks like they're starting to burn. You want to cook the eggplant for about 5 minutes until they start to get soft and have a nice sear. Take this first batch of eggplant out of the pan, heat a second tablespoon of oil, and do the same with your second batch. Set all the cooked eggplant aside on a plate.
• Set the heat to medium high and add the last tablespoon of oil to the wok, along with the ground pork. After the pork has browned, add the ginger and cook for a minute to let it crystalize with the pork. Stir in the whole red chili peppers and the minced garlic, and after a minute, turn the heat back up to high. Add the eggplant back in, along with the stir-fry sauce, the white parts of the scallions, and the shaoxing wine. Stir-fry everything together for another 2 minutes, making sure everything is well-combined.
• Toss in the rest of the scallions and stir-fry for another 20 seconds. Plate and serve immediately with white rice.

CHINESE EGGPLANT WITH GARLIC SAUCE (EGGPLANT STIR-FRY)

Steps:

• Chop the eggplant into 1-inch cubes, salt, and set aside for 20 minutes. I like to do this in a colander to naturally drain. You can also lightly pat the pieces with a kitchen towel to remove any excess water (and salt).
• Finely chop the chilies. You can adjust the amount of heat by using less chili and/or removing the seeds from the chilies.
• Finely chop the spring onion and grate or mince the garlic and ginger (or use ginger paste and garlic paste).
• Prepare the stock by combining the stock cube with water and just lightly crush the peppercorns. I did this in a mini mortar and pestle, but you could also place them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat with the crushed peppercorns. Once hot, remove the larger pepper pieces and add the chili, garlic, and ginger, stirring for a minute.
• Add the eggplant and stir-fry for a further two minutes.If you want more of a smoky flavor, you can first grill the eggplant until slightly crispy and smoky. Then add it to the pan in the last few minutes of cooking the sauce. Alternatively, lightly toss the eggplant in cornstarch before pan-frying in a bit of oil (without the sauce) for stovetop slightly smoky flavor.
• Add the stock, sugar, soy, and miso, and stir to combine. Then cook for between 10-15 minutes, or until softened with a reduced sauce.If you want the sauce to be thinner, add a little more water or stock to your preference.
• Give the Chinese garlic sauce a taste and adjust any ingredients (salt, sugar, chili, etc.), Finally, top with the green onions and some sesame seeds before serving. This Chinese eggplant stir-fry is best enjoyed over rice or noodles for a simple, healthy meal!
• Make ahead: Since this recipe can be stored for 4-5 days, it's great for making ahead. For an even quicker meal, you can pre-grill/cook the eggplant and prepare the sauce (reduces and thickened then store in a jar in the fridge) 2-3 days in advance. To prepare the meal, add the eggplant to a pan until heated, then add the sauce and mix until warm- add a little additional water if needed for the Chinese garlic sauce.Fridge: store any leftovers in the refrigerator, covered for between 4-5 days.Reheat: reheat the garlic eggplant dish in the microwave or on the stovetop, optionally with a splash of water to thin the sauce once more.

CHINESE TAKE-OUT EGGPLANT IN SPICY SAUCE

Steps:

• In a wok, set over medium-high heat, heat the oil to 360º.
• Add half the eggplant to the oil and fry for about 5 minutes or until the eggplant is limp.
• Remove the eggplant with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined sheet pan. Cook the remaining eggplant in the same manner.
• In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, bean sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Set aside.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil in the wok. Add the garlic, ginger and chiles and cook 1 minute. Add the pork and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Return the eggplant to the wok. Stir the sauce and add it to the pork. Boil until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
• To serve, garnish with green onions.

P F CHANG'S STIR-FRIED SPICY EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Combine all Spicy Sauce ingredients and mix well.
• In a wok or large frying pan, deep-fry eggplant at 350 degrees F for 1 minute. Remove eggplant and drain on paper towels.
• Meanwhile remove all but 1/2 teaspoon of oil from wok. On high heat, stir-fry garlic for 5 seconds then add Spicy Sauce. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer 20 seconds.
• Add eggplant and mix well. Simmer for another 10 seconds. Stir in cornstarch paste a little at a time until desired consistency. Serve immediately.