Vegan Sichuan-style eggplant recipe: There are many ways to cook veggies; one of my favorite vegetables is eggplant. Most people consider it a vegetable, but I discovered that eggplant is a fruit. In this Sichuan-style recipe, eggplant is steamed instead of fried, and the sauce is made using very little oil and some Chinese ingredients, which make the dish delicious and fragrant in flavor!
Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Chinese ingredients, like Sichuan-style chili bean paste, contribute to the authenticity of this recipe. This chili sauce is made from chili and fermented broad beans, offering a distinctive, spicy depth of flavor. In Asia, you can conveniently find it in supermarkets. For those in other countries, Chinese supermarkets and Oriental or Asian food shops often carry this ingredient. You can also use eggplant instead of brinjal.”
“Integrating these flavors into your Sichuan-style eggplant recipe can introduce a delightful kick to your dish. The chili bean paste adds spiciness and a rich, complex taste to your steamed eggplant. It’s the perfect addition to transform your cooking into a genuine Sichuan culinary experience. You can also use eggplant instead of brinjal for this delicious recipe.
This Sichuan-style eggplant recipe is one of my favorite plant-based dishes, offering a delightful blend of flavors that never disappoint. Moreover, for more culinary adventures, check out my collection of recipes from my travels and stay in Singapore. Whether it’s an exotic delicacy or a comforting classic, there’s a world of plant-based goodness to explore!
Here’s the complete step-by-step recipe for this delicious Sichuan-style eggplant dish. Feel free to print it and enjoy cooking!
Sichuan-style Brinjal Eggplant in spicy garlic sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons Black vinegar or rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 350 gr Brinjal eggplant
- 3 Garlics cloves
- 70 ml Water
- 1 tablespoon Chili bean paste
- 1 tablespoon (6gr) Chopped ginger
- 1 piece Red chili pepper (deveined and deseeded)
- Coriander to garnish
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Cut the Brinjal eggplant. I cut it into pieces 15cm in length each.
- Soak the eggplant in water with a drizzle of vinegar; this will help preserve their color, and add some salt, which will help decrease the amount of oil they’ll absorb.
- Dilute the cornstarch in water, add soy sauce, vinegar, chili bean paste, and sugar, and mix well.
- Steam the eggplant until the flesh feels soft for approx 10-15 minutes, I am using a rice cooker, but you can also use a metal strainer or colander and a saucepan with boiling water.
- Finely chop the garlic, ginger, and chili pepper.
- Heat up oil in a wok or pan then add the garlic and ginger and stir fry until golden brown.
- Add the sliced chili and mix well.
- Add the sauce that we made previously.
- Incorporate the aubergines and mix well.
- Serve with rice and garnish with coriander.
