Eggplant (Aubergine) With Hot Garlic Sauce

Rita~'s Note:

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

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 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
• ½ cup chicken stock or ½ cup water
• ¼ 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

[evelyn/athens]

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

[mlok]

Wow that's good! I made it twice, once w/o the water chestnuts and it's great that way too. I'm thinking it might be nice with fresh beansprouts on top, too. Thanks for a yummy recipe!

[Tarteausucre]

Great recipe! We really enjoyed this one, and it was very straightforward to make. It will be made again. We threw in some steamed broccoli instead of the water chestnuts, and it worked okay. I was not sure how hot to saute the eggplant in Step 2, I'm guessing Medium.