🍆 Braised Eggplant - Hong Kong Style Homemade Smooth and Tender Rice

Editor's Preface

Braised eggplant is truly a "rice thief"! A pot of spicy, tender, and flavorful eggplant, with a rich, sweet, and appetizing sauce, is a budget-friendly choice. I've tried countless recipes, but I love Hong Kong-style braised eggplant the most. It's glossy, doesn't burn, is easy to prepare, and tastes like a restaurant!

🛒 Ingredients preparation

• 2 eggplants (about 450g, long ones are preferred)

• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)

• 1 slice of ginger (minced)

• Half a green pepper (optional, for color)

• 1 tomato (optional, for a nice tomato aroma)

• Appropriate amount of scallions

• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

• 1.5 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon vinegar (for sweet and sour taste)

• 1-2 tablespoons oyster sauce

• 150ml water or broth

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1.5 tablespoons water (for thickening)

• appropriate amount of oil

• A pinch of Sichuan peppercorns (optional, to enhance the aroma)

🍳 Detailed cooking process

1️⃣ Eggplant pre-processing

• Wash the eggplant and cut into large pieces (no need to peel, soak in salt water for 10 minutes if you are afraid it will turn black), and pat dry with kitchen paper.

• If you want the eggplant to be smoother, you can coat it with a thin layer of flour or fry it in oil until it is slightly golden and set.

2️⃣ Deep-fry until firm (healthy version can be air-fried or blanched)

• Heat more oil in a wok and deep-fry the eggplants in batches until golden brown. Drain and set aside. (If you prefer a healthier option, use an air fryer or blanch over high heat to reduce the oil content but the taste will be worse.)

3️⃣ Sauté ingredients until fragrant

• Heat oil in a wok and sauté minced garlic, ginger, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns (optional) until fragrant.

• Add green peppers and tomatoes and stir-fry until softened.

4️⃣ Stir-fry until brown

• Add the fried eggplant and stir-fry.

• Add dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, vinegar, and broth, and stir-fry over medium-high heat until every eggplant is coated with the sauce.

5️⃣ Add starch to thicken the sauce

• When the eggplant has absorbed enough of the sauce, slowly pour in the cornstarch water and cook while stirring until the sauce thickens and covers the eggplant.

• Taste it. If it’s too salty, add sugar. If it’s too bland, adjust the ratio of light soy sauce to dark soy sauce.

• Finally, sprinkle with green onion slices and serve.

💡 Editor's Tips

• You can use medium-temperature oil to fry the eggplant. You don’t need to fry it until it is fully cooked, just until it is slightly golden and set. You can braise it later.

• The stir-frying process should be quick to avoid overcooking the eggplant.

• Add cornstarch water several times to cover the eggplant until it absorbs the juice and becomes slippery.

• Vinegar brings out the sweet and sour flavor. Remember to add it before turning off the heat to prevent the flavor from changing.

• If you are afraid of greasiness, make sure the eggplants absorb the oil thoroughly after frying or use a healthier cooking method.

😋 Eating experience

Each old eggplant is smooth and juicy when eaten, with a rich sauce flavor that is not greasy, and a salty, sweet, and slightly sour taste that is extremely appetizing. It is perfect with rice or noodles! Even children will be tempted to "eat an extra bowl of rice" 🍆🍚✨

I cooked tonight and served this braised eggplant with rice. Everyone in the family cleaned the plates with it!