It is the right season for eggplants and I have to commit that eggplants and mushrooms are my favorite vegetables that can beat the meal meat. It is matched with a very lovely hot garlic sauce.
If you are my fellow readers, you may find I posted lots of yummy eggplants on my blog and this is a totally new way of making eggplants.
This is super easy to beginners
When I just start cooking, I feel eggplant is quite hard to cook because it needs lots of oil and cooking time. No worries, this one is super easy. Cut the eggplants into wedges and place in a steamer, steam for 10 minutes. That’s it!
How to choose tender eggplant
Firstly look at the appearance, the tender eggplant usually has a smooth skin without any wrinkles. If you press it, it will have a firm texture but can back slightly. Further cut the eggplant out, there will be no black seeds inside.
How to keep the purple color of the eggplants
Eggplants are super easy to be oxidized to lose its beautiful color. The basic principal of prevent it from oxidation is to isolate the skin with air. There are two rules, the first one is to steam flatly with skin downside. The vapor will expel the fresh air. And another way is to fry the eggplant in deep oil, which can completely isolate the air. I also find soaking with black vinegar water can help in some degree. A very basic skill used for blanching chicken feet.
Step to Step
Prepare and soak the eggplants
cut the eggplants into halves and further into small wedges. Soak in large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.
Make the sauce
Add garlic, ginger, scallion white, pepper powder, toasted sesame seeds and fresh pepper circles in a bowl and then drizzle around 2 tablespoons of hot oil on top. Mix in light soy sauce, sugar, black vinegar, sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of clean water. Set aside to combine for a while.
Steam the eggplants
Transfer the soaked eggplants to a steamer, try to keep some space among each one. If you get a larger steamer, lay only one layer is the best option. Heat water to a boiling firstly and then place the steamer on. Steam for 10 minutes. You will get cloud like steamed eggplant wedges.
Set up the eggplants in serving plate and then pour the sauce on top.
Chinese Eggplant Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 small long eggplants , or one large one
- 1 tbsp. white vinegar , for soaking optional
Sauce
- fresh chili peppers 1 red and 1 green| cut into small circles
- 1 tsp. minced ginger
- 3 garlic cloves , mashed
- 1/2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp. chili powder , optional
- 1 tsp. chopped scallion white
- 2 tbsp. vegetable cooking oil
- 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 tsp. black vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. salt or as needed
- 1 tbsp. boiled warm water
- 1/4 tsp. sugar
Instructions
Prepare and soak the eggplant
- Cut the eggplants into halves and further into small wedges. Soak in large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.
Make the sauce
- Add garlic, ginger, scallion white, pepper powder, toasted sesame seeds and fresh pepper circles in a bowl and then drizzle around 2 tablespoons of hot oil on top. Mix in light soy sauce, sugar, black vinegar, sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of clean water. Set aside to combine for a while.
Steam the eggplants
- Transfer the soaked eggplants to a steamer, try to keep some space among each one. If you get a larger steamer, lay only one layer is the best option. Heat water to a boiling firstly and then place the steamer on. Steam for 10 minutes. You will get cloud like steamed eggplant wedges.
Serve
- Set up the eggplants in serving plate and then pour the sauce on top.
Nutrition
I also have lots of great eggplant recipes on the blog, check them for your eggplant ideas.
- Yu Xiang Eggplant, a famous Sichuan hot garlic sauce.
- Sichuan eggplant
- Chinese stuffed eggplants, also known as eggplant box
- Super easy eggplants with garlic and fresh pepper
- Chinese eggplant with minced pork
This is the third of your recipes I’ve tried, and again it was delicious. Unlike some websites, all your recipes work perfectly. And unlike some websites, your food is authentic and non-westernised. Today I try making biang biang noodles. Wish me luck!
Just made this. So easy and beautiful.
Thanks Ed. Be happy in eggplant season.
Looks beautiful and delicious!
5 stars!
I made this recipe but used dried Sichuan chilli pepper (cut into pieces) instead of chilli peppers because my Cantonese mom can’t take spice (even McDonald’s chilli sauce makes her cry).
We loved it. Thank for sharing these delicious recipes. Now I know what to do if I have a lot of eggplants xD
In this recipe, scallion whites, pepper powder and sugar are not included in the ingredients list but are mentioned in the instructions. Can you tell me what amounts to use of those ingredients?
Sorry Dave,
I missed the ingredients. Already updated!
Made this for the second time this week! I skipped sugar as I need to at the moment and it was still soooo delicious. Tastes authentic too. Thanks for sharing this. I look forward to exploring more of your site.🤩
Thanks, Sharon. Love to hear you like it too. Happy cooking.
I’m making this recipe and can’t help but notice there is absolutely no direction on how long to soak the eggplant in the diluted vinegar, nor is there any indication how long “for a while” is supposed to mean when marinating the sauce. As such, I’m left on the hook wondering how long to wait before steaming the eggplant wedges. This is literally happening to me right now and I’m mortified I recommended this recipe to my mother. Not even ballpark figures are given. What an absolute failure of a recipe as a recipe (i.e. instructions). Correct it, please.
My mom used to make something like this during the summers. It’s a perfect side dish.
I tripled the recipe for a potluck. I am Cantonese and don’t do chili spicy, but added one teaspoon of red chili flakes for depth. I wonder if it would be good with Szechuan green pepper oil. 🤔
I did add some chopped green onion and cilantro on top for garnish after saucing. Delish!!
Hi GearBunny,
Thank you for sharing your experience with the recipe! It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoyed it and made some personal adjustments. Adding Szechuan green pepper oil sounds like a fantastic idea for an extra kick of flavor. The chopped green onion and cilantro garnish must have added a lovely freshness to the dish as well.
I’m glad you found it delish! If you have any more culinary adventures with the recipe, feel free to share.
I was skeptical (because I’m used to either stir-frying or deep-frying eggplant) but this was terrific. “Cloud-like” is a great way to describe the steamed eggplant. Didn’t need all the sauce. Love this recipe.