Sichuan Style Braised Aubergines (Printable Version)
Tender aubergine in spicy Sichuan doubanjiang sauce, garlicky and glossy—serve with steamed rice.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 1/3 pounds eggplants, cut into thick batons
02 - 2 spring onions, finely sliced
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, 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, for frying
13 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
14 - Salt, to taste
→ Thickener
15 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
16 - 2 tablespoons water
# How-To:
01 - Sprinkle the eggplant batons lightly with salt and allow them to rest for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry using paper towels.
02 - Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant pieces for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and soft. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil.
03 - Wipe excess oil from the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon. Add ginger, garlic, and red chili. Stir-fry for 1 minute until the mixture becomes fragrant.
04 - Add doubanjiang to the pan and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute until the oil turns red and aromatic.
05 - Return the fried eggplant to the pan. Pour in soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and vegetable stock. Stir carefully to coat the eggplant. Cover the pan and simmer on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, allowing the eggplant to become exceptionally tender and the flavors to develop.
06 - In a small bowl, blend cornstarch with water to form a slurry. Stir into the pan and cook for 30 seconds until the sauce thickens to a silky consistency.
07 - Drizzle sesame oil over the eggplant and garnish with finely sliced spring onions before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- You get restaurant-level boldness with just a wok and pantry basics.
- It's secretly satisfying to watch friends reach for seconds, not realizing it's vegan.
02 -
- I once rushed the salting step and ended up with limp, soggy aubergines—take your time here.
- Learning to fry the aubergines until truly soft (not just browned) took the whole dish from good to great.
03 -
- If your aubergine slices are too thick, try cutting a few thinner ones to test fry times for next time.
- A splash of black vinegar at the end is an insider move for extra tang—experiment if you have it in your pantry.