Steamed Eggplant with Soy Sauce and Garlic
Reprinted with permission from The Vegan Chinese Kitchen by Hannah Che copyright © 2022. Photographs by Hannah Che. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.
“Steaming is my dad’s favorite way to prepare eggplant,” Che writes. “He usually seasons the eggplant with soy sauce, a tremendous amount of minced raw garlic, and sesame oil, but I like to add a splash of dark Chinkiang vinegar to mellow the garlic notes and sugar and to edge it toward a more sweet-and-sour taste.”
This recipe and others like it can be found in the article “Hannah Che’s Vegan Chinese Recipes Modernize a 1,000-Year-Old Tradition.”
How to Make It
1
To make the sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
2
Cut the eggplants into pieces to fit in your steamer. Bring approximately 1 1⁄2 cups water to a boil in a wok or skillet (amount will vary depending on the size of your wok or skillet), then cover with a steamer on top and steam the eggplants for 10–12 minutes, until the skin is wrinkled and the flesh is no longer chewy or spongy but tender enough to pierce through with a chopstick. Remove the eggplants from the steamer, drain any excess water, and set them aside until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
3
Tear the warm eggplant into long strips you can pick up with a chopstick and place them in a bowl. Pour in the sauce mixture and then place the scallions and ground chiles on top.
4
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over high heat until shimmering and nearly smoking, then pour the hot oil over the eggplant and aromatics to release their flavors. Stir well to combine. Serve immediately, or chill before enjoying.
Ingredients
Sauce
1 fresh red chile, seeded and finely chopped
3–5 garlic cloves, to taste, minced
3 ½ tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
Eggplant
1 lb Chinese or Japanese eggplants (about 3 small)
2 tbsp thinly sliced scallions, both green and white parts
1 tsp ground chile or chile flakes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Directions
1
To make the sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
2
Cut the eggplants into pieces to fit in your steamer. Bring approximately 1 1⁄2 cups water to a boil in a wok or skillet (amount will vary depending on the size of your wok or skillet), then cover with a steamer on top and steam the eggplants for 10–12 minutes, until the skin is wrinkled and the flesh is no longer chewy or spongy but tender enough to pierce through with a chopstick. Remove the eggplants from the steamer, drain any excess water, and set them aside until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
3
Tear the warm eggplant into long strips you can pick up with a chopstick and place them in a bowl. Pour in the sauce mixture and then place the scallions and ground chiles on top.
4
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over high heat until shimmering and nearly smoking, then pour the hot oil over the eggplant and aromatics to release their flavors. Stir well to combine. Serve immediately, or chill before enjoying.
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