Forget Roasted or Fried: This Authentic Chinese "Hongshao" Method Makes Eggplant Incredibly Juicy and Tender
Just cut the eggplant and add the sauce to it — your perfect dinner is ready.
Fried eggplants have been a pretty trendy thing during the last couple of years, but it’s likely you’ve never tried this type of the popular dish that they prepare in China. No other exotic ingredients are required, so be sure to check out the nearest grocery store for what you’ll need for this recipe — it might even become one of your favorites after the first time you try it.
Ingredients (for 5 portions): 1–2 eggplants, a leek, three cloves of garlic, three sprigs of parsley, a tablespoon of dill seeds, 2–3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, a tablespoon of wine vinegar.
For the sauce: 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of water, 1 teaspoon of sugar, a pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
Mix the soy sauce, water, sugar, and salt until smooth, then stir in the cornstarch until dissolved.
Peel the eggplants, cut them into cubes, sprinkle with salt, and let rest for half an hour. Gently squeeze out the excess liquid, then quickly cook in vegetable oil until golden brown. Move to another dish.
In the same skillet, fry finely chopped leeks and garlic, then add dill seeds. Return the eggplants to the skillet, pour in the vinegar, and fry, stirring constantly, until the vinegar has evaporated.
Pour in the pre-prepared sauce with cornstarch, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Fry the Chinese-style eggplant for another minute, stirring constantly.
