Ingredients
Eggplant and Oil
- 1 pound (454g) Chinese or Japanese eggplant
- 3/4 cup (175mL) canola oil (or any neutral oil)
Sauce and Seasonings
- 1/2 cup (120mL) water
- 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons red Sichuan peppercorn (optional)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons doubanjiang
- 1 1/2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon (2g) kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (add more to taste)
Garnish
- Sliced scallions for garnish
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Eggplant: Slice the eggplant into 2.5 to 3-inch sections, then cut each section into batons about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. No salting is necessary. Set aside.
- Heat Oil: Add 3/4 cup of oil to a wok and heat over medium-high until the temperature reaches 350ºF to 360ºF (175ºC to 180ºC). Test readiness by dropping a small eggplant piece; if it bubbles rapidly, the oil is ready.
- Fry Eggplant: In batches, add a handful of eggplant batons to the hot oil. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, flipping halfway, until tender and slightly golden. Use tongs and a spider spatula to drain excess oil and transfer to a plate. Repeat for all eggplant, frying smaller batches as oil quantity reduces and adding more oil if needed.
- Remove Excess Oil: Once finished, turn off heat and pour off excess oil from wok, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the wok for sauce preparation.
- Make Cornstarch Slurry: Whisk water and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth to create a slurry that will thicken the sauce.
- Prepare Sichuan Peppercorn Powder: Place peppercorns in a bowl, remove twigs and black seeds, then grind husks with a pestle and mortar until powder forms. Sift to remove husks, keeping about 1/2 teaspoon of powder.
- Cook Aromatics and Sauce: Heat the wok with remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and ginger, cooking for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Add doubanjiang and stir for 30 seconds. Then add ground Sichuan pepper, gochugaru, sugar, and salt, stirring to combine.
- Thicken Sauce: Whisk slurry again and pour into wok. Bring to rapid boil and simmer for 30 seconds to 1 minute until sauce thickens slightly.
- Toss Eggplant with Sauce: Return all fried eggplant to wok, stirring to coat with sauce evenly. Turn off heat.
- Serve and Garnish: Transfer the spicy eggplant stir fry to a serving plate. Garnish with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve alongside jasmine or brown rice for a complete meal.
Notes
- You do not need to salt the eggplant before cooking as the frying method used does not require it and avoids adding excess saltiness.
- Red Sichuan peppercorns are optional but add authentic numbing spiciness; if unavailable, you can omit them or substitute with regular pepper for milder flavor.
- Doubanjiang is a spicy fermented bean paste essential for the signature flavor; use a good quality brand for best results.
- Gochugaru adds moderate heat and a smoky flavor, but you can adjust the quantity to suit your spice preference.
- Adjust sugar and salt to taste to balance the sauce’s flavor profile.
- Frying eggplant requires careful temperature control; test the oil temperature with a thermometer or by observing bubbling around the eggplant pieces.
- After frying, pour off excess oil but leave enough in the wok to carry the sauce flavors and prevent sticking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Vegetarian
