This Braised Eggplant with Garlic Sauce is a simple vegetarian dish made with tender eggplant braised in a savoury garlic sauce. Soft, glossy and perfect with steamed rice.
Wash and clean eggplant. The cut into thick strips.
Mince garlic and dice spring onion, separating the whites and the greens.
In a bowl, combine all seasonings and water. Mix well and set aside.
Cooking Braised Eggplant with Garlic:
Heat wok over medium heat. Then add enough oil, about 2 tbsp. When oil is hot, pan fry eggplant in a single layer until it turns golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a claypot (or wok) over medium heat. Add minced garlic and the white part of spring onion. Stir fry until the garlic turns golden brown and fragrant.
Add fried eggplant and pour in the seasoning sauce. Stir to mix well the fried eggplant with the sauce mixture.
Bring the sauce to a boil. Then switch to medium low heat. Cover and braise till the eggplant softened and the sauce thickened.
Turn off the heat and remove from stove. Garnish with the green part of spring onion and serve immediately.
Best enjoyed hot while the eggplant is glossy and silky over a bowl of steamed rice. Enjoy!
For fresh Asian varieties, soaking eggplant in water is not necessary. If soaking, make sure to pat dry completely before cooking.
Choose the right eggplant. Chinese or Japanese eggplant work best. They have thin skin, fewer seeds and cook quickly. Avoid large, old eggplants. They can taste bitter and spongy.
Cut the eggplant evenly into thick long strips or wedges of similar size so they cook evenly.
Use moderate oil when cooking the eggplant. Add the liquid early in the braising stage to soften and cook the eggplant.
Saute garlic on medium to low heat until fragrant. Burnt garlic will make the dish bitter.
Once sauces and liquid are added, cover the pan and let the eggplant soften slowly. Stir gently to avoid breaking the eggplant.
Do not overcook the eggplant. It is done when the eggplant is tender but still holds shape. Overcooking makes the eggplant mushy.