Eggplant

[Anonymous]

Can you cook eggplant and use it in a variety of dishes or does it have to be cooked in the particular dish? I love Chinese spicy eggplant but I want to get that kind of soft, oily texture with another flavor, using a bottled condiment. Anyone know how the eggplant in that spicy eggplant dish that is found at almost all Chinese restaurants is cooked? TIA.

[Anonymous]

Ooooh, I love this eggplant too.

I don't have a recipe but definitely use an Asian eggplant vs. the European kind.

[Anonymous]

The eggplant in Chinese dishes is usually deep fried, quickly in very hot oil. They use the long Asian eggplants, and the skin turns a beautiful shade of purple when fried.
I rub diced Aisan eggplants with oil and roast them, for a low-calorie version of the restaurant dishes. However they turn a dull brown, so it is aesthetically less pleasing.

[Anonymous]

I think you should just try whatever flavor you think you like and see if you like what you create. That's part of experimenting with cooking.

You can use Hoisin sauce and add spicy peppers to it. Or you can just use oil, minced garlic, salt and spicy peppers of your choice. You can get hoisin sauce in Chinese/Korean markets. If you look at their sauce isle, there are a lot more types you can try. Even the simple garlic, chili sauce I mentioned above.

The skinny eggplants, and small eggplants tastes a bit different than the big round eggplants. I use whatever that's on sale!

[Anonymous]

The secret to the eggplant in garlic sauce found in Chinese restaurants is black vinegar, also called Chiangkiang vinegar.

[Anonymous]

I made this dish all the time. It's approximate, but it works for me.

I sautee the asian eggplant in oil w/onion and a few red peppers (or red hot peppers), making it brown a bit. Then I deglaze w/ a sauce of soy, white sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and a bit of fish sauce. I throw in a handful of basil to more closely approximate the thai dish. Serve over rice w/more soy and sriracha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I made this dish all the time. It's approximate, but it works for me.

I sautee the asian eggplant in oil w/onion and a few red peppers (or red hot peppers), making it brown a bit. Then I deglaze w/ a sauce of soy, white sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and a bit of fish sauce. I throw in a handful of basil to more closely approximate the thai dish. Serve over rice w/more soy and sriracha.

I should add that Trader Joe's chili garlic sauce + soyaki works in a pinch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I made this dish all the time. It's approximate, but it works for me.

I sautee the asian eggplant in oil w/onion and a few red peppers (or red hot peppers), making it brown a bit. Then I deglaze w/ a sauce of soy, white sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and a bit of fish sauce. I throw in a handful of basil to more closely approximate the thai dish. Serve over rice w/more soy and sriracha.

I should add that Trader Joe's chili garlic sauce + soyaki works in a pinch.

I do something similar with Giant's store brand asian sauce added after sauteing everything else. No basil leaves but I add garlic - its very good with rice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I made this dish all the time. It's approximate, but it works for me.

I sautee the asian eggplant in oil w/onion and a few red peppers (or red hot peppers), making it brown a bit. Then I deglaze w/ a sauce of soy, white sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and a bit of fish sauce. I throw in a handful of basil to more closely approximate the thai dish. Serve over rice w/more soy and sriracha.

Thanks for all the tips PPs! I bought the thin purple Chinese eggplant and the black vinegar and made a version I found online of the spicy eggplant that seemed closest to what I've had in restaurants. It was so, so good -- and I can't believe I made it in my own kitchen.

I'm going to try this recipe next. I think the fish sauce and basil will be great in it too. Yum! (Do you use Thai basil or American basil?)

[Anonymous]

Thai basil tastes better in this dish, but you can use regular basil too.

[Anonymous]

I love eggplant too! I just bought some and am gong to attempt t make this dip from Smitten Kitchen

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/08/smoky-eggplant-dip/