Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

Looking for a garlic dish that is tasty and easy to make? This delicious eggplant recipe may be the one that finally turns you into an eggplant lover. The eggplant is soft in the middle, slightly crisp on the outside, and swims in a sweet, salty and umami garlic and soy sauce that is so good, it's almost drinkable. Served with some rice or noodles to mop up the extra sauce, this might quickly become one of your favorite meals.

Forget takeout Chinese, this "fakeout" is just as good but has half the oil, sugar and calories—and it contains the added benefits of heart-healthy garlic.

Is Chinese eggplant good for you?

Did you know that eggplants are actually fruits and not vegetables? These oblong plants come in many colors and sizes, but they all taste similar. Eggplant has a good amount of fiber, antioxidants and vitamins, which makes it a great addition to any diet. It is also relatively low in carbs and calories, which makes this fruit diet-friendly for most people.

Is Chinese eggplant better than Japanese eggplant?

Most eggplants have a similar nutritional and caloric profile. Chinese eggplants are long and slender and darker purple. They have fewer seeds, making them less bitter than American or Italian eggplant. Japanese eggplants are shorter and lighter in color. They also have a slightly sweeter flesh and thinner skin.

Since Chinese and Japanese eggplant are harder to find than other types, I've included tips to make this dish with whatever eggplant type you can find. In fact, I made this recipe with American eggplant because that's what type was available to me, and it came out incredible.

Is garlic a good addition to an eggplant recipe?

Garlic is a healthy and delicious addition to this sweet, spicy and umami recipe. The soy sauce, garlic and ginger combination gives this saucy dish a lot of flavor. Eggplant is often seasoned with garlic, as it helps make the milder eggplant flavor pop. Across many cultures, garlic and eggplant are a match made in heaven. The best-known eggplant dishes across the globe—Italian Eggplant Parmesan, Middle Eastern Baba Ghanoush, and Indian Baingan Bharta—all feature garlic prominently in the ingredients list.

Chinese Eggplant Recipe with Garlic Sauce

Makes 4-5 servings
Prep time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 Italian or American eggplants or 3 Chinese eggplants, cut in thumb-sized pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup water
3 teaspoons scallions, chopped
Optional: 1 tsp salt only if using Italian or American eggplant

Sauce

3 tablespoons light sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
3 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Preparation

Optional: If using Italian or American eggplant, prep them by cutting them into thumb-sized pieces and sprinkling with 1 teaspoon of salt. Let the eggplant sit and sweat for 10 minutes. This salting draws out the bitter juices. You will see beads of liquid collected on the outside of the salted eggplant when it is ready. At that point, rinse the eggplant under cold water and pat it dry with paper towels.

• Sprinkle the cut eggplant pieces with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, then mix well to distribute. The eggplant should only be lightly dusted, not coated in cornstarch. This will help it dry a bit and also make it slightly crispier on the outside for cooking.
• Place a large and deep non-stick sauté pan or a wok over medium heat and add the olive oil.
• Once it's hot, add the garlic and ginger to the oil in your wok. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until it's very fragrant and starts to get some golden color.
• Next, add the eggplant to the hot oil with golden fried garlic and ginger. Avoid constant stirring. Rather, give the eggplant 3 minutes between stirring. This way you will get a nice browning and slight crispness to the outside of the eggplant rather than making it too mushy. Cook it this way, stirring every 3 minutes or so, for about 15 minutes until all the eggplant is mostly cooked before adding the sauce.
• Make the sauce by combining light sodium soy sauce, water, sugar and cornstarch. Add the sauce to the pan of cooked eggplant and stir well to coat the eggplant. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Last, add ½ cup of water, stir well and cover. Let the water come to a boil and turn down the temp to low and cook for 5 more minutes. Doing this makes it super saucy and cooks the eggplant all the way through.
• Garnish the cooked dish with scallions and serve with rice.

Nutritional values per serving

Calories: 149 kcal
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Protein: 3 g
Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g
Sodium: 610 mg
Potassium: 459 mg
Fiber: 6 g
Sugar: 9 g
Vitamin A: 54 IU
Vitamin C: 5 mg
Calcium: 24 mg
Iron: 1 mg

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes.

Tips for success

Even before you start cooking, the choices you make can affect the outcome of this sweet and spicy dish.

How to pick a good Chinese eggplant

When choosing any kind of eggplant, there are things to look for when choosing the best. First, look for firm flesh. Soft spots and blemishes in the skin are always a bad sign. If your eggplant has a brown spot on the outside, then it's also most likely brown inside. Chinese eggplant's skin should be purple and shiny; other types are a deeper, almost black, color. Good shine is key.

Can you eat the skin of a Chinese eggplant?

The skin of Chinese eggplant is totally edible. In fact, the skins of all varieties of eggplant are okay to eat. Chinese eggplant's skin is a bit thinner than other varieties, which makes it more desirable for eating. The purple skin adds a beautiful color and also extra vitamins to your dish. Some people prefer to peel other varieties, as the skin can be a bit tough. But that is a question of personal preference rather than safety.

Why do you salt eggplant before cooking?

The seeds of Italian and American eggplants can lend an unpleasant bitterness to your recipe. This is why many choose to salt (and sweat, which is removing excess liquid) eggplant before cooking. Adding salt helps to bring those bitter juices to the surface so you can rinse them away. This leads to a better flavor in your eggplant dish. If you are using Chinese eggplant, salting is unnecessary because the seeds are not as bitter.

What happens if you don't salt eggplant before cooking?

Salting your eggplant is recommended, but it is entirely optional. Removing the bitter juices by salting and rinsing makes the dish taste better. But to be honest, as a chef of 30 years, sometimes I do it and sometimes I don't. When eggplant is fresh and in season, I don't think it is necessary to sweat them. But if you want to guarantee a bitter-free eggplant dish, salting is the key.

Is Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce healthy?

Eggplant can be a very healthy choice depending on how it is cooked. Unfortunately, most eggplant preparations involve heavy breading, frying, salt and lots of sugar, and these practices often render it less healthy. But this eggplant recipe uses low-sodium soy sauce and less sugar to make the sauce healthier while preserving the expected flavors. This stir-fry also incorporates olive oil, which is one of the staples of a heart-friendly diet.

Can I get enough garlic benefits from this recipe?

Garlic gets its health benefits from sulfur-containing compounds like allicin and S-allyl-cysteine (SAC). Aged garlic extract has increased amounts of SAC and has been clinically studied to support heart health, but it's found in relatively small amounts in raw garlic. So even though the garlic in this recipe can be part of a heart-healthy lifestyle, a better way to get the amazing health benefits of this nutrient is through a garlic supplement. Aged Black Garlic can help you get clinically studied blood pressure and cholesterol health support in one capsule daily, no cooking required.

References

• Borek C. "Antioxidant health effects of aged garlic extract." J Nutr. March 2001. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11238807/
• Somashekara N, et al. "High Potency Aged Garlic Extract reduces Cardiovascular
  Disease Risk Factors in Healthy Participants: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Study." Open Acc J Comp & Alt Med. September 2023. https://lupinepublishers.com/complementary-alternative-medicine-journal/pdf/OAJCAM.MS.ID.000202.pdf
• Verma T, et al. "Medicinal and therapeutic properties of garlic, garlic essential oil, and garlic-based snack food: An updated review." Front Nutr. February 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9978857/
• "Eggplant, raw." Department of Agriculture. April 2024. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2685577/nutrients
• "The Health Benefits of Garlic." Cleveland Clinic. March 2022. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/6-surprising-ways-garlic-boosts-your-health