Chinese Braised Eggplant with minced pork recipe is a traditional Cantonese dish. This Asian eggplant stir fry without ground meat is homey, easy to make, and so delicious you’d want extra rice to go with it! Get our cooking tips on the best way to cook eggplant and avoid the eggplant from absorbing too much oil!

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs eggplant, sliced 2 inches thick

1 cup cornstarch

water and 1 tsp salt to brine

 

Braised Eggplant Sauce

3 tbsp vegetable oil

3-5 cloves of garlic, minced

2-inch knob of ginger, minced

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tbsp spicy been sauce Dou Ban Jiang

1 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce (sub for vegan oyster sauce)

2 tbsp brown sugar

½ tsp sesame oil

½ tsp cornstarch dissolved in a little water (see notes)

1 Bird’s eye chili (optional)

100g Thai Basil (optional)

5 stalks green onions, sliced 2 inches thick (separate white and green sections)

Finely chopped green onions for garnish

Cilantro for garnish

½ lbs ground pork (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

There are two ways to prepare the eggplant into healthy eggplant recipes!

 

Method 1: Salt

Add Kosher salt and sliced eggplants in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

Ensure both sides of the eggplants are coated.

Allow resting for 1 hour. If you are in a pinch, 30 minutes.

Pat dry. Do not rinse the eggplant.

 

Method 2: Salt Water Brine

Add sliced eggplants and one teaspoon of salt in a large mixing bowl and add water to cover. Mix well.

Place a plate or a pot lid to help the eggplants submerge underwater.

Let it bathe and marinate in the water for 15 minutes.

Drain and pat dry.

 

Dust with cornstarch before braising, grilling or stir-frying on a wok or flat-bottom pan.

Cooking the Eggplants

Add oil to a wok or flat-bottom pan, over medium high heat.

Add garlic and ginger to wok, and let simmer for a minute until fragrant.

Add white parts of green onions and Bird’s Eye Chilli to wok. Toss well.

Add eggplants previously prepared to the wok and fry until golden brown. Tossing frequently to avoid burning. If the wok appears dry, add a little more vegetable oil.

Remove eggplants from wok and set them on two paper towels to absorb excess oil. Reserve for later.

In the same wok, add some vegetable oil and seasoning (light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, spicy bean sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil) over low-medium heat. Mix well until fragrant.

Once the sauce thickens, add the previously fried eggplant back into the wok. Toss well and coat evenly.

Add in Thai basil and green parts of the green onions. Toss and mix well.

Serve and enjoy over white jasmine rice or noodles.