Sichuan Style Braised Aubergines (Printable Version)
Tender aubergine in spicy Sichuan doubanjiang sauce, finished with sesame and spring onions, ideal with steamed rice.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1.3 pounds eggplant, cut into thick batons
02 - 2 spring onions, finely sliced
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, finely chopped
05 - 1 red chili, thinly sliced (optional)
→ Sauce
06 - 2 tablespoons doubanjiang (Sichuan 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
# Method:
01 - Lightly sprinkle eggplant batons with salt and set aside for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Rinse and pat dry thoroughly using paper towels.
02 - Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry eggplant pieces for 6 to 8 minutes until golden and softened. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
03 - Remove excess oil, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon in the pan. Add ginger, garlic, and chili. Stir-fry for 1 minute until aromatic.
04 - Add doubanjiang and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until the oil becomes red and fragrant.
05 - Return eggplant to the pan. Pour in soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and vegetable stock. Gently mix to coat evenly.
06 - Cover and simmer on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, allowing the eggplant to become very tender and the flavors to meld.
07 - Combine cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Stir into the pan and cook for 30 seconds until the sauce thickens.
08 - Drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with sliced spring onions before serving hot.
# Chef's Tips:
01 -
- The sauce is a revelation: savory, spicy, and silky, it clings to every piece like it knows all your cravings.
- This dish comes together easily, yet brings restaurant-level satisfaction that makes it impossible not to have seconds.
02 -
- Once I tried skipping the salting step and ended up with aubergines soaking up twice as much oil and turning mushy—never again.
- Doubanjiang seemed intimidating at first, but once I started seeking out the fermented jars from Asian groceries, the sauce took on a deep, savory smokiness like nothing else.
03 -
- The oil temperature is everything; too cool and the aubergines will be greasy, too hot and they’ll scorch—err on the side of medium-high.
- Use a broad, flat spatula for gently stirring, so the tender pieces hold their shape right up to serving.