Come check out our best list of Chinese Eggplant Recipes; you will be surprised how many wonderful dishes Chinese eggplants can offer!
Eggplant is an all-the-time favorite to many because it can be cooked in various mouth-watering recipes.
Some debated whether eggplants are considered a fruit or vegetable.
If you’re one of the few who are confused about this as well, here’s the truth: Eggplants are berries!
However, in the culinary world, they are still treated and used as vegetables.
Did you know that there are a variety of eggplants depending on the location and culture?
For example, unlike other eggplants, Chinese eggplants have a lighter, pastel exterior and soft, white flesh on the inside.
It has a long, slender shape and has fewer seeds, so eggplant lovers can enjoy experimenting with it without the bitter taste.
Also, what makes them stand out among other eggplants is the fact that they can absorb all kinds of seasonings and spices very quickly without marinating them.
Moreover, this veggie is quite versatile because one can cook various delicious dishes with it.
The easiest way to cook eggplant is by frying it using any cooking oil and putting in some oyster sauce, and voila, you can already enjoy a simple, quick, and flavorful meal.
But if you’re tired of the usual frying or new to using Chinese Eggplants in cooking, we prepared Chinese Eggplant Recipes to help you experiment a bit more and give this ingredient a chance to be one of your favorites.
If you’re a fan of something garlicky and sweet, make sure to check out these recipes.
Straightforward yet bursting with flavor.
The tricky part here is the grilling.
Cut the eggplant into bite-size portions and grill it until it’s a bit crispy and its meat turns a bit brown.
Grilling the eggplant brings out its smoky and sweet flavors.
Afterward, you can quickly fry it and add garlic sauce.
Sprinkle some green onions, and it’s done.
It goes well with rice; many rice lovers like this wonderful recipe.
Ingredients include: Chinese eggplants, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch.
Steaming the eggplant produces a delectable taste quite different from the usual way of cooking.
It transforms its soft texture to a silky and creamy taste when topped with aromatic and hot grapeseed oil.
Similar to grilling, steaming can be a bit tricky because the lovely purple might turn brown, so be careful not to oversteam it.
Although it won’t affect the flavor, we do not want to lose that wonderful color, right?
You can steam it for about 7 minutes.
Ingredients include: Scallions, black vinegar, ginger, Chinese eggplants, and garlic.
For people who prefer flavorful yet with a kick, this recipe is for you.
This dish is a combination of eggplant with garlic sauce added with red rice vinegar, some meat (prawns, beef, or pork), and chili sauce.
You can adjust the chili sauce according to your taste.
Red wine vinegar and/or balsamic vinegar can be a good substitute for this.
Ingredients include: Ginger, red chilies, peanut oil, Szechuan peppercorns, and garlic.
The beautiful combination of these two flavors plus its spice brings out the true flavor of this wonderful dish.
This dish is a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, and minced garlic.
It is added with cayenne, peanut oil, and cornstarch to create a viscous liquid to be added to the eggplant before frying them.
This is best eaten with brown or Jasmine rice.
Ingredients include: Sesame seeds, cornstarch, Chinese eggplant, salt, and pepper.
Although Chinese eggplants are delectable by nature, the secret to this recipe is in the sauce.
Steaming the eggplant brings forth its naturally sweet flavor and creamy texture, which is compatible with its sour and spicy flavor.
Ingredients include: Spring onion, rice wine, sesame paste, sesame oil, and cooking oil.
Roasted eggplant is delightful since it brings out its naturally sweet flavors this method caramelizes the eggplant.
The 5 spices in this recipe balance the taste of the eggplant – salty, sweet, spicy, umami, and bitter.
Ingredients include: Coconut oil, coarse sea salt, soy sauce, bull horn peppers, and Chinese 5-spice powder.
If you like dim sum and eggplant, then this Chinese recipe is fit for you.
Yes, you can make dim sum out of an eggplant, and best of all, it uses less oil since it has to be steamed.
Steaming held up the meat and other filling while maintaining its natural flavor and texture.
This recipe is so delish because not only does it have a pleasant-tasting filling, but the sauce is also out of this world.
Ingredients include: Chinese eggplant, the meat of your choice, scallions, rice wine, and oyster sauce.
Air Fryer is one of the most convenient ways to cook an instant delicious meal.
Using an Air fryer in cooking a Chinese eggplant is an excellent way to enjoy a delicious meal without losing its natural flavor.
Highly recommended for people who are on the go but still wanted to enjoy a good, homey meal.
Ingredients include: Sesame oil, garlic oil, Chinese eggplants, Thai red chili, and oyster sauce.
This recipe features two ways to cook eggplant: you can broil it or grill it, whichever you prefer, as long as you can bring it to caramelized perfection.
It doesn’t require many ingredients since the eggplant already has a smoky, sweet taste.
Fragrant rice is most favored with this dish, along with cucumber as its sides.
Ingredients include: Broccolini, cucumber, fresh ginger, Shaoxing wine, and green onion.
This dish is famous in most Chinese households because it’s simply yummy.
The sweet and spicy kick makes it irresistible to food lovers.
It brings out an oriental, balanced flavor that makes this dish so scrumptious.
Ingredients include: Minced pork, ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorn, and Chinese black vinegar.
For the body-conscious, here’s a paleo recipe that is hard to resist!
This recipe is popular not just in China but also in Asian countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam.
It highlights the beautiful combination of garlicky, spicy, and sweet taste.
Ingredients include: Ground pork, Chinese dry red chilies, minced garlic, arrowroot starch, and avocado oil.
The bottom line
Eggplants are considered an all-around type vegetable because you can never run out of reasons to use them in the kitchen.
The best thing about this vegetable is that you can cook it in any way without losing its mild, sweet flavor.
You can fry it, boil it, broil it, bake it, or grill it; it always comes out delectable and makes every meal appetizing.
Give at least one of the recipes we shared a try, and let us know how it goes!
More About Eggplant
- How To Tell If An Eggplant Is Bad
- What To Serve With Eggplant Parmesan
- Eggplant Recipes
- What Does Eggplant Taste Like?
- How To Saute Eggplant
11 BEST Chinese Eggplant Recipes
If you’re a fan of something garlicky and sweet, make sure to check out these 11 easy Chinese Eggplant Recipes!
Ingredients
- Eggplant In Garlic Sauce
- Steamed Chinese Eggplant With Sizzling Hot Oil
- Chinese Eggplant With Spicy Szechuan
- Sweet And Sour Eggplant
- Easy Chinese Steamed Eggplant
- Roasted Chinese Eggplant With 5-Spice
- Chinese Stuffed Eggplant
- Air Fryer Chinese Eggplant
- Sticky Chinese Eggplant Recipe
- Chinese Eggplant With Minced Pork
- Paleo Chinese Eggplant In Garlic Sauce
Instructions
- Check our Chinese Eggplant Recipes list.
- Select a dish.
- Cook to your heart's content!
- Don't forget to share this list of meal inspirations!