Eggplant (Aubergine) With Hot Garlic Sauce

Submitted by Rita1652

"This dish bursts with flavors from a combination of sweet, spicy, and savory followed by the refreshing crunch of fresh water chestnuts and scallions."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 4 -6 Chinese eggplants (these are long and slender-Chinese groceries will have them) or 4 -6 Japanese eggplants (these are long and slender-Chinese groceries will have them)
• 5 tablespoons peanut oil or 5 tablespoons corn oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic (I use 4-6 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon hot bean paste (available from Chinese groceries)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄2 cup chicken stock or 1/2 cup water
• 1⁄4 cup water chestnut, peeled & chopped
• 1 chopped scallion
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for-garnish

directions

1. Cut eggplant 1/2-inch wide by 2-inch long strips.
2. Saute 1/2 the eggplant in 1/2 the oil in a non-stick pan/wok, until soft.
3. When browned and soft, remove from pan about 5 minutes.
4. Then repeat with rest of eggplant or sautee in 2 pans.
5. On low heat, cook garlic, ginger, and hot bean paste for a minute, then add sugar, soy sauce and stock/water.
6. Add water chestnuts.
7. Return eggplant to the pan and cook for about five minutes until garlic is soft and a sauce forms.
8. If sauce is too thin, thicken with 1t corn starch mixed with 2t water.
9. Fold sesame oil.
10. Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
11. Serve hot or cold with white rice.

Reviews

[Mirugai]

The sauce is wonderful! Many thanks for the great recipe! I make a fat-free version by grilling the eggplant and eliminating the oil and sesame oil. I also add a handful of sliced onions to the sauce while it's cooking and fold in a big handful of fresh basil a minute before serving.

 

[evelynathens]

outstanding recipe! Intense flavours, meltingly soft eggplant, crunchy water chestnuts and green onions. ALL eggplant lovers out there HAVE to try this.

 

[Pierce C.]

We fell in love with this dish at Chef Chu's in Los Altos, CA. I found this on Food.com and got excited. It came out exactly as I hoped. I did double the sauce because it wasn't enough for us. Also the Bean Paste was fairly difficult to find at the Chinese Market, but we did eventually find it. I recommend trying the same recipe but swapping the main veggie out or adding some more. Also throwing some peanuts in adds a little more crunch texture. Thanks again!

 

[Yogi8]

Fantastic eggplant recipe! All the other reviews say it all. I roasted the eggplant in the oven, sprayed with a bit of oil, because I don't have a non stick pan and was afraid the eggplant would soak up too much oil frying in a regular pan. Also, I didn't have the hot bean paste and use crushed red pepper flakes instead. This is SO good, I can't wait to have it agsin!

 

[HollyJane]

Very good. I used regular eggplant since I have soooo many in my garden. About 2 1/2 to 3 regular eggplants seem to substitute nicely. Great! Tastes as good as a restaurant! Thanks.