Steamed Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

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Steamed Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

My grandma used to make this steamed eggplant for me after school because it was so easy and quick! I loved eating the juicy eggplant with hot rice because its so flavorful from the garlic.

This recipe is vegan and can be substituted with other delicious vegetables if you like. Just make sure to pour out the water from the squashes after steaming before putting your garlic sauce for extra flavor.

Chinese eggplant vs. Large eggpants

We are using Chinese eggplants for this recipe. Chinese eggplants are skinnier, less bitter, and have less seeds compared to the bigger eggplants you see in American stores. If you are using an American or large eggplant that is not long and skinny, you will need to peel off all of the skin and take out some of the seeds.

How long to steam eggplant?

Steam eggplant for 10-15 minutes until desired softness. I like the eggplants to be really soft so 15-18 minutes is perfect for me. At the 10 minute mark, you will need to pour out some of the water. Then, add the garlic sauce and steam for another 3-8 minutes depending on how soft you like the eggplant.

If you don’t pour out the water, the dish may be watery and not as savory as you would like.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED FOR YOUR STEAMED EGGPLANT:

• 1 Chinese eggplant (25 ounces)

sauce:

• 6-8 garlic cloves
• 3 tbs avocado oil (hot oil from the pan!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 red thai chili (for spice) or red bell pepper (for color) – optional

garnish:

• soy sauce, to taste (I like 1 tbs-2 tbs)
• sliced green onion

STEPS TO MAKE THE STEAMED EGGPLANT:

1. Prepare the sauce first. Mince 6-8 cloves of garlic. Then, sliced green onions and red pepper or red thai chili (if you like spice).
2. Place garlic, green onions, and chili in a bowl. Then, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon sugar.
3. In a pan, heat to high. Add avocado oil to the pan and wait until you can see smoke coming out of then pan (takes 5 or so minutes). Pour hot oil on the garlic. Mix together and set aside.
4. Wash the eggplant with water. Cut the stem off the chinese eggplant. Peel some of the skin and leave some in between (cut stripes) for a nice texture. Then, cut the eggplant in half and slice in smaller pieces.
5. Place the eggplant on a plate evenly. On high heat, place water in a pot. Once boiling, place the eggplant plate inside the pot and steam for 10 minutes.
6. Take out the eggplant dish out and pour out the water. Add the garlic mixture you made in step 3 on top of the eggplant. Steam for 3-8 minutes until your desired softness for the eggplant.
7. Eat the eggplant with some rice and hope you enjoy!

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Interested in more of my grandma’s recipes? See these delicious eats below.

• Stuffed Jalapenos – a hakka classic dish where you place pork and shrimp filling in a jalapeno!
• Jalapeno garlic sauce is the perfect side dish for your noodles and rice. It takes 5 minutes to make this side dish and you will want to eat this on everything!!

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