Stir-Fried Garlic Eggplants (红烧茄子) | Recipe

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Sometimes you don’t realize how special a dish is until later. The first time you love it, it’s delicious, and then  later when you’re eating it again you realize why you love that dish. 

I’ve always loved stir-fried chinese eggplant (红烧茄子), but after one of our recent past trips to Taiwan the dish felt more special. I watched my aunt cook the eggplants in our kitchen wok, making my grandmother’s recipe for probably the hundredth time— although still under my grandmother’s vigilant supervision (haha). She may be in her nineties, but she’s still head of the kitchen… and the house (haha). 

And even when we’re thousands of miles away, I love that I can make these stir-fried eggplants at home and relive this memory with our family in Taiwan, crowded around a table of delicious homecooked food sitting on chairs that are way too small for us. 💛

What’s in it

• 1-2 Chinese or Japanese eggplants depending on size
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped to liking
• 3 birds eye chilis chopped - optional for spice
• 1/4 onion, julienned
• 2 scallions, chopped
• sesame seeds to top
• 1-2 tbsp neutral oil

STIR FRY SAUCE:
• 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
• splash of black rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp of water
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp shao xing wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp corn starch mixed water
• 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

How to do it

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two methods on how to cook the eggplants!
First, chop aromatics, and add stir fry sauces into a bowl together.

MICROWAVE METHOD: (requires less oil + frying time)
• chop eggplants into long strips. cover and put in the microwave at 1000 watts for 2 minutes or 700 watts for 3 minutes depending on your microwave’s power. Your eggplants will be soft + ready to stir fry!
• add 1.5 tbsp neutral oil to a wok/non stick pan on medium high heat + add garlic, onions + dougan
• add stir fry sauce, thai bird chilis, scallions + softened eggplant in.
• cover with a lid for 1 minute to braise, remove lid, turn heat up to high for another 30 seconds-1 minute until sauce has been mixed in thoroughly.
• top with optional sesame seeds

FRY METHOD: (traditional method)
• chop eggplants and add to water, add some salt and submerge with a plate for 10-15 minutes to help reduce moisture in the eggplants.
• pat eggplant slices dry, add to a bowl with corn starch until eggplants are mostly covered.
• add 2 tbsp neutral oil to a wok/pan on medium high heat, add eggplants and fry on one side until they begin to crisp. flip to the other side until crisp. add oil as needed so eggplants don’t burn, they will need additional oil to not dry out when cooking.
• add garlic into the wok to lightly fry, add in your stir fry sauce.
• top with scallions and/or sesame seeds

A video on how to make it here.