I have one permanent cooking battle scar from all my time spent in the kitchen. It came from cooking eggplant (aubergines). I was frying eggplant in a wok when a piece of nearly cooked eggplant covered in hot oil flipped onto the back of my hand. Despite the battle scar, I love eggplants way too much to stop cooking them. One of my absolute favourites is this vegan Chinese braised eggplant dish.
So, here’s a few good tips to keep handy when it comes to cooking eggplants. Trust me, I’ve learnt! Firstly, how to prepare eggplant for cooking? Wash and cut your eggplant to desired bite sizes. Place eggplant in a large bowl of salted water. Then, use a plate or cover to push the eggplants down and keep them submerged in the salted water. Soak the eggplants for approximately 15 minutes. Then, drain and pat dry before cooking.
Eggplants are one of those vegetables like mushrooms which tend to absorb lots of oil. This preparation method reduces its oil absorption allowing the eggplants to lightly char while still evenly cooked and soft on the inside. Perfectly cooked eggplant should retain its integrity and remain firmish. Keep in mind, cooking eggplant requires a decent amount of hot oil. However, too much and your eggplant will become mushy and greasy which is rather unpleasant. Eggplant is a fantastic vegetable if cooked right. It absorbs plenty of beautiful flavours from its marinates.
While the eggplant is soaking, prepare the perfect sauce. The sauce we’ve chosen for this braised eggplant recipe is a combination of garlic, light and dark soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce and sugar to create the perfect balance of sweet and savoury. An absolutely satisfying vegan dish served with a hot bed of rice. Just simply delicious.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
serves
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- 650 grams eggplant (aubergines) cut into thick strips
- 1 small yellow capsicum diced (optional)
- 1 red cayenne chilli minced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- sesame seeds to garnish (optional)
- dried chilli flakes (optional)
Ingredients
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|
- In a large bowl of salted water, soak eggplant pieces for 15 minutes. Combine light and dark soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce and sugar in a small bowl and stir to mix well. Combine cornstarch and one cup of water and stir till cornstarch complete dissolved.
- Drain eggplant and pat dry with paper towels. In a wok or large saucepan, add vegetable oil and heat at medium high heat. Add eggplant and spread evenly in a single layer. Try not to overlap eggplant. If required, divide into 2 batches to cook. Carefully flip occasionally. Cook for approximately 10 minutes until lightly charred.
- Remove eggplant from the wok. Add capsicum, chilli and garlic and stir fry for a minute. Add sauce mixture, return eggplant to wok and combine well. Stir in cornstarch mixture over eggplant. Stir constantly while simmering gently for approximately 20 seconds until eggplant is evenly coated and sauce thickens.
- Serve immediately over a hot bed of rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and dried chilli flakes (optional).
