Sichuan Style Braised Aubergines (Printable)
Tender aubergine in spicy Sichuan doubanjiang with garlic, ginger and scallions; ideal over steamed rice.
# What you'll need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 21 ounces eggplants, cut into thick batons
02 - 2 spring onions, finely sliced
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 piece ginger, thumb-sized, finely chopped
05 - 1 red chili, thinly sliced, optional
→ Sauce
06 - 2 tablespoons doubanjiang (Sichuan fermented broad bean chili paste)
07 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
08 - 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
09 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
10 - 1 teaspoon sugar
11 - 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
→ Oil and Seasoning
12 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
13 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
14 - Salt, to taste
→ Thickener
15 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
16 - 2 tablespoons water
# Directions:
01 - Lightly sprinkle the eggplant batons with salt and allow them to rest for 10 minutes to extract excess moisture. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
02 - Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry eggplant until golden and tender, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
03 - Remove excess oil from the pan, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon. Add ginger, garlic, and red chili; stir-fry for 1 minute until aromatic.
04 - Incorporate doubanjiang and sauté for another minute, stirring constantly until oil develops a vibrant red hue and emits a fragrant aroma.
05 - Return the fried eggplants to the pan. Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and vegetable stock. Gently stir to coat the eggplants evenly.
06 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until eggplants are exceptionally tender and flavors blend.
07 - Combine cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Pour into the pan and cook for 30 seconds, stirring until the sauce thickens.
08 - Drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with sliced spring onions prior to serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- This is the kind of dish you'll crave on chilly nights when you want thrilling, mouth-tingling comfort that still feels fresh.
- The sauce is both showy and deeply satisfying, and learning to coax so much flavor from simple vegetables feels like unlocking a kitchen superpower.
02 -
- If you skip salting the aubergines up front, they’ll soak up oil like sponges and never quite turn out plush and yielding.
- The day I accidentally scorched the doubanjiang taught me never to walk away at that step—keeping the heat moderate is key for coaxing out flavor instead of bitterness.
03 -
- If your wok or skillet isn’t big enough, fry the aubergines in batches—crowding leads to steaming instead of that perfect golden crust.
- I sneak in a teaspoon of freshly toasted Sichuan peppercorns for a floral, numbing twist that takes the whole dish to a new level.