Chinese Eggplant and Garlic Recipe: Eggplant with Garlic Sauce!
I love the melting-in-mouth texture of eggplant so much that I often make eggplant as a comfort food. The benefit of making eggplant dishes is you can incorporate any flavors in it.
So, let’s make Chinese eggplant today. This Chinese eggplant and garlic recipe has ground pork, so a large portion of your daily protein requirements will be filled up from it. And you can make this dish really fast. I will provide detailed steps accompanied by the necessary images to make the process easy for you.
Table of Contents
Chinese Eggplant and Garlic Recipe Overview
The overview chart has all the essential information about the recipe. It will help you determine the right amount of ingredients according to your needs.
| Course: Side dish | Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Easy | ||
| Total Time: 15 minutes | ||||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories | |
| 2 persons | 5 minutes | 10 minutes | 187 kcal | |
Ingredients Needed for the Recipe
This eggplant recipe has the perfect balance of protein, vegetables, and aromatics. You will find the necessary ingredients in the following list.
- Eggplant: 2 Chinese eggplants
- Vinegar: 1 tbsp
- Cornstarch: 1 tsp
- Chicken Stock: 2 cups
- Garlic: 5 cloves
- Rice Vinegar: 1 tbsp
- Pork: 150g of ground pork
- Chili: 3-4 whole red chilies
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Pepper: 1 tsp of black pepper, freshly ground
- Oil: 1 tbsp
Chinese Eggplant and Garlic Recipe
Eggplant made with a garlic sauce turns out so good that you will start eating it directly. Here are the steps for making the dish.
Step 1: Cut and Clean the Eggplants
Take two Chinese eggplants and cut them into 2-inch cross sections. Then, cut the sections into quarters. Mix 1 tbsp of white vinegar with water and soak the eggplants for a bit. Then, pat the eggplants dry and coat them with cornstarch.
You Can Also Try: Eggplant Graffiti Recipe
Step 2: Make the Garlic Sauce
Take chicken stock in a small bowl. Mince two garlic cloves and mix them with the stock. Also, add rice vinegar to the sauce and stir well.
Step 3: Cook the Ground Pork
Put 1 tbsp of oil in a hot pan. Add ground pork to the hot oil and cook it for a few minutes. Add whole red chilies, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the pork.
You Can Also Try: Eggplant Dressing Recipe
Step 4: Add the Eggplants and the Garlic Sauce
Make some space in the middle and add the eggplants to the pan. After frying them for some time, pour the garlic sauce. Then, cover the pan with the lid and simmer them for about 5 minutes. You can now enjoy the delicious eggplant with garlic sauce.
Nutrition Facts of the Recipe
This eggplant recipe is full of nutrition, as you get protein, vitamins, and minerals in one dish. Each serving of this dish contains 187 calories. You will get the full nutrition value in the following list.
- Total Carbohydrates: 29g
- Protein: 5g
- Total Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 4g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 13g
- Total Sugar: 13g
- Cholesterol: 82mg
- Sodium: 224mg
- Potassium: 927mg
- Calcium: 41mg
- Iron: 1mg
- Vitamin A: 26IU
- Vitamin C: 10mg
Do’s and Don’ts of the Recipe
It is easy to mess up the flavor or texture of the dish. These tips will help you make it right.
Do’s
- You must soak the eggplant in vinegar and water to preserve its bright color. It makes the dish look more vibrant.
- Cook the ground pork until the excess moisture goes away before adding the eggplant.
Don’ts
- Don’t stir the dish after adding the eggplants. Otherwise, the eggplants will be mashed up.
- Don’t cook this dish over high heat. Otherwise, the pork will be dry.
Chinese Eggplant and Garlic Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Take two Chinese eggplants and cut them into 2-inch cross sections. Then, cut the sections into quarters. Mix 1 tbsp of white vinegar with water and soak the eggplants for a bit. Then, pat the eggplants dry and coat them with cornstarch.
- Take chicken stock in a small bowl. Mince two garlic cloves and mix them with the stock. Also, add rice vinegar to the sauce and stir well.
- Put 1 tbsp of oil in a hot pan. Add ground pork to the hot oil and cook it for a few minutes. Add whole red chilies, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the pork.
- Make some space in the middle and add the eggplants to the pan. After frying them for some time, pour the garlic sauce. Then, cover the pan with the lid and simmer them for about 5 minutes. You can now enjoy the delicious eggplant with garlic sauce.
FAQs
Here are the answers to some common questions. Take a look at them.
Can I make a vegetarian version of this eggplant and garlic dish?
Yes. You can make this dish for vegetarians by substituting mushrooms for ground pork. In that case, chop mushrooms finely and cook them before adding the eggplant and the sauce.
What can I serve with this eggplant recipe?
You can serve this eggplant dish with white rice. The spicy and tangy flavors of this dish go well with the rice. You can also serve this with bread or fried noodles.
Can I store this dish in the refrigerator?
Of course. In fact, this dish tastes better the next day. So, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator and eating it one day later to get better flavors.
How do I know that the eggplants are cooked perfectly?
After adding the sauce, you need to simmer it for a few minutes. When the sauce thickens up and you see a glaze on the eggplants, they are cooked through.
Conclusion
Eggplant with garlic sauce is so comforting that I can eat this same dish day after day. As it is easy to make, I often cook it in large batches and store it in small portions. The meal preparation for the whole week gets a lot easier if you keep this dish on the menu.
Now that you know the Chinese eggplant and garlic recipe, you should try this dish at least once. You will fall in love with the soft texture and yummy flavor of this eggplant dish. Don’t forget to let me know if you have any suggestions for making this dish better.
