Chinese Garlic Eggplant

Ahh…eggplant. Very few vegetables grow in August in hot, dry Louisiana gardens. My best success is with growing eggplant, okra and Tabasco peppers. This summer, my very scaled down garden consisted of just a few container buckets with eggplant, basil and flowers in which I started in July. Of course, I was pleased when my plants blossomed and then developed into the eggplants. I had enough harvest for just one precious dish. So…I am making a variation on my favorite “melt-in-your-mouth” eggplant dish. It is a “copycat” recipe to the dishes often found in oriental restaurants. Along with sautéed eggplant, the dish is heavy in garlic and, optionally, hot peppers. For an interesting twist; it is finished with a sweet and sour soy sauce glaze. Simple and delicious.

“Joy of Gardening”

My small container garden is really about the “joy of gardening.” My nine containers don’t yield enough harvest to contribute substantially to our meals. Rather, it is all about the satisfaction of growing something yourself. And, this year I succeeded. I planted two eggplant varieties in my containers: Fairytale eggplant (on the left) and an elongated Japanese variety. Plus, I planted plenty of flowers — zinnias, marigolds and vincia all love the hot, Louisiana summers. Finally, basil excels in these pots. I have quite a basil harvest on my hands.

These are small eggplant. The Fairtale eggplant grow to be about 3 to 5 inches in length and the Japanese eggplant are a little longer. The Fairtale eggplant are sweeter, not as bitter as other eggplant. If you can find them in a farmer’s market or grocery, they are a treat.

For this dish, I used three of the small Japanese eggplant plus one Fairtale eggplant. They weighted about 8 oz, total. Just enough for two people. Eggplant are at their peak in late summer in farmers markets and grocery stores. They are ready to be picked (from either your garden or the grocery store) when they are firm, but not hard, and with no blemishes or bruises.

Tabasco Peppers in a Louisiana Garden

The other garden ingredient in this dish is hot chili peppers. A variety of chili peppers are used in Chinese cuisine — depending on the region of the country and the degree of heat. To adapt to Louisiana cuisine, typically I would use jalapeño peppers in this dish or perhaps Serrano peppers. But, I have a wonderful Tabasco pepper plant which survived our harsh winter. It is full of peppers which are ripening now.

Tobacco peppers are tiny, but they pack plenty of “punch.” I used two peppers in my dish, that gave enough heat for our tastes.

Tabasco peppers turn from yellow to orange to red as they ripen. When they turn red, they are softer and milder.

Of course, if you perfer a milder eggplant dish, the chili peppers can be omitted entirely. We actually found that the Tabasco peppers distracted from the dish. Next time, I’ll omit them. We will let the garlic shine.

Recipe

Here are the ingredients for my “Chinese Garlic Eggplant.” I usually have this assortment of products in my kitchen cabinets, so this dish didn’t require a special shopping trip. For example, I always keep a jar of minced garlic in my refrigerator. Plus, I used ground ginger rather than fresh ginger, for convenience. I love rice vinegar and always keep it around, too.

Making the Recipe

This recipe is easy to prepare — another reason for why I love it. To make the dish, cut up the Japanese eggplant lengthwise into approx 4-inch sticks. Then cut into fourths. These eggplant are so small, I didn’t peel them. Sprinkle on salt and let the eggplant sticks soak for about an hour. (This helps reduce bitterness. Plus, the eggplant won’t soak up as much oil during sautéing.) Next, rinse the salt off under running water and pat dry with paper towels.

Lightly coat the eggplant with cornstarch.

Sauté the eggplant in oil over medium heat until tender, turning once. I used a non-stick skillet. This took about 5 minutes.

The sweet and sour sauce (or glaze) makes a good way to add oriental-inspired flavor. The sauce includes soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, ground ginger and a little water. It is thickened with cornstarch. So simple! Combine the ingredients (including cornstarch) for the sauce in a small bowl.

Transfer the cooked eggplant to a plate. Add the garlic (from a jar) and minced, hot chili pepper to the skillet. Yes, I added plenty of garlic! Cook just for a few seconds. Return the eggplant. Pour on the sauce and let the mixture simmer until the sauce bubbles and thickens.

And…the dish is finished. For our meal, I served the eggplant with rice and sprinkled on sliced, green onions and sesame seeds.

I love the combination of eggplant and garlic. And, the oriental-inspired “sweet and sour sauce” compliments the main ingredients. The sauce gives a unique spin on this eggplant dish.

This is a small recipe, it is easy to double the recipe and use one pound of eggplant. I wouldn’t, however, double the remaining ingredients — that includes the hot chili pepper. A little heat goes a long way.

This is a great way to use summer eggplant. It is tender and mild — none of the flavors are overwhelming. The recipe makes it easy to become accustomed to the pleasures of eggplant.

I am enjoying the “rewards” of a small summer garden. Even though I have a small harvest, it fulfills my desire to be an urban farmer. Thanks, summer flowers, my garden is a huge success.

Enjoy!

Lovin’ all the sunflowers which are thriving in my flower garden. An unexpected treat — that they are growing so well. The bees love them. Hoping for hummingbirds and Monarch butterflies.