Chinese
Eggplant Stir-Fry
Eggplant and bell pepper sear, then a soy, vinegar, and ginger sauce glazes them. The stir-fry is served over rice, with scallions and sesame oil at the end.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Salting the eggplant briefly, then patting it dry, keeps the pan from drowning in liquid.
- A cornstarch slurry makes the sauce cling instead of pooling on the plate.
- High heat and room in the pan brown the eggplant. Low heat makes it soggy.
- Sesame oil is added off the hottest part of the cook so it stays fragrant.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Toss the eggplant with the 1 tsp kosher salt and let it sit 10 minutes. Pat it dry.
- 2
Stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch, water, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
- 3
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant in a single layer as much as you can and cook until browned and tender, about 7 minutes.
- 4
Add the red bell pepper and cook 2 minutes.
- 5
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 30 seconds.
- 6
Pour in the sauce. Stir until it turns glossy and coats the eggplant, about 1 minute.
- 7
Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the sesame oil and scallions. Serve over the cooked rice.
Pro tips
- If the eggplant drinks all the oil, add another teaspoon rather than letting it scorch.
- The sauce thickens fast once it boils. Have the rice plated before you pour it in.
- Globe eggplant needs the salt step. Slim Chinese eggplant is less watery and can go straight into the pan.
Easy substitutions
- Soy sauce
- Tamari
- Red bell pepper
- Snap peas
- Brown sugar
- Honey
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate the stir-fry up to 3 days. The eggplant will soften.
Reheating
Warm in a skillet over medium heat until hot. The sauce will thicken, so add a teaspoon of water if you need it loose.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 297
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop · Vegetarian
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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