This Chinese eggplant stir-fry features silky, pan-fried eggplant coated in a rich, umami garlic sauce. A simple vegetable side dish that is simple to prepare, delicious, and ready in 30 minutes!
It is great served with freshly steamed rice and Chinese mains (like vegan chop suey, tofu orange chicken, or Hunan tofu to make a satisfying, well-balanced meal.
Eggplant used to be one of the few vegetables that intimidated me. The few times I ordered them, they were deep-fried and ranged from perfectly crispy and juicy to overly greasy.
After cooking with them a bit more, I realize the best way to cook them is either to steam them (as in my sambal eggplant) or, like in my tofu eggplant recipe, to pan-fry them beforehand. This results in crispy eggplant with silky and creamy insides without being overly oily.
💚Why you will love eggplant with garlic sauce
- Packed with umami, garlicky, and incredibly flavorsome
- Healthier and much less greasy than the takeout version - eggplants are pan-fried instead of deep-fried
- Versatile and goes well with a variety of Chinese mains, from noodles (like oyster sauce noodles and tofu noodle stir-fry) to heartier mains such as bok choy tofu.
- Quick to make, ready in 30 minutes, and requires minimal ingredients!
🧄What you will need
- Eggplant - Japanese or Chinese eggplants (slender and narrow in shape) are preferable as they have a more delicate taste. If using regular eggplants, peel them beforehand, and they will also need to be cooked longer.
- Cornstarch - Essential for crispy eggplant; can be substituted with tapioca or potato starch.
- Dark soy sauce - Optional; adds depth of flavor and a nice brown hue to the eggplants.
- Shaoxing wine - A popular Chinese cooking wine; can be substituted with sherry and mirin in a pinch.
🔪How to make
Step 1: Combine eggplant slices with salt and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Then, rinse, drain, and pat dry with paper towels.
Step 2: Make the stir-fry sauce by combining all ingredients needed.
Step 3: Add cornstarch to the eggplant and toss to coat.
Step 4: Heat some oil in a non-stick wok or pan. Pan-fry eggplant in batches for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden on the outside and tender on the inside.
Step 5: Add ginger and garlic to the pan and fry for 1-2 minutes until aromatic.
Step 6: Add cooked eggplant along with stir-fry sauce. Cook until everything is hot, and your Chinese eggplant is ready to be served!
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🍳Alternative ways to cook eggplant
Baking in the oven - After coating the eggplant in cornstarch, arrange in one layer on a baking tray and generously coat with cooking spray. Bake at 200 °C/400°F for 15-20 minutes until tender.
Air fryer - You will need to cook in batches. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer in the air fryer container, then spray with cooking oil. Cook for 15-18 minutes at 200 °C/400°F.
Steaming eggplant - Skip the cornstarch. Place eggplant pieces in a steamer and steam for 10-15 minutes, until tender.
✅Helpful tips
- Cook eggplant in small batches - Overcrowding the pan can cause it to steam instead of fry, yielding soggy rather than crispy eggplant.
- Salting eggplant - It helps draw out moisture, yielding crispier eggplant. You can skip this step if short on time.
- Adjust the heat - If you notice eggplants are browning too quickly, reduce the heat. I usually fry my eggplant on medium to medium-low heat.
- Add some spice - You can give the garlic sauce eggplant some kick by adding chopped chilies or chili flakes.
🍚Serving suggestions
- Rice or noodles - steamed Jasmine/brown rice, fried rice (including my vegan egg fried rice), or frozen vegetable fried rice. Stir-fry noodles like my fried rice vermicelli and vegan Japchae go well with this dish too.
- Chinese mains - I recommend serving eggplant with high-protein mains, including soy sauce tofu and Szechuan tofu.
- Soups - A Chinese meal is incomplete without soup! Some of my go-tos include napa cabbage soup, tofu vegetable soup, and Chinese vegetable soup.
❔Commonly asked questions
Salting eggplants helps draw out excess moisture, yielding slightly firmer and crispier eggplant. However, you can skip this step if short on time, as the differences are minimal.
Regular eggplant can be used as a substitute for Chinese eggplant in this stir-fry. However, as regular eggplant has a tougher peel, it is recommended to peel them before cooking. They will also require a longer cooking time.
🍽️More Asian side dishes
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📖 Recipe
Chinese Eggplant Stir-fry (with garlic sauce)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chinese eggplant or Japanese*(450g)
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon minced ginger
For stir-fry sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
Salting eggplant
- Add sliced eggplants and salt into a bowl. Toss until the salt is well incorporated, and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes.
- When the time is up, rinse the eggplants in water, drain them, and pat them dry with a paper towel or dishcloth.
- Add cornstarch to the eggplant, and toss until the eggplants are well coated. Your eggplants are ready to be pan-fried.
Cooking eggplant
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick wok or large pan. Arrange eggplant in one layer. Depending on the size of the wok, you might need to cook them in batches.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until most sides are golden brown. Eggplants should also be fork tender.
- Repeat for the remaining eggplants and set aside for later use.
Making stir-fry sauce
- While the eggplants are salting, combine all ingredients needed for the sauce. Mix well and set aside.
Stir-frying eggplant
- Heat up another ½ tablespoon of oil in the wok. Stir in ginger and garlic, and fry until fragrant.
- Add cooked eggplants along with stir-fry sauce to the wok, and toss well. Fry until everything is hot. Your Chinese eggplant stir-fry is ready to be served!
Notes
- Cook eggplant in small batches - Overcrowding the pan can cause it to steam instead of fry, yielding soggy rather than crispy eggplant.
- Salting eggplant - It helps draw out moisture, yielding crispier eggplant. You can skip this step if short on time.
- Adjust the heat - If you notice eggplants are browning too quickly, reduce the heat. I usually fry my eggplant on medium to medium-low heat.
- Add some spice - You can give the garlic sauce eggplant some kick by adding chopped chilies or chili flakes.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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