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Sticky Garlic Eggplant 红烧茄子

Chinese deep-fried eggplant tossed in a sticky black bean and garlic sauce
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Soaking Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

Crispy Eggplant

  • 500 g Eggplant
  • 1/4 cup Cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Black Bean Garlic Sauce

  • 1 cube Fermented Bean Curd
  • 5 cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 stalks Spring Onion diced
  • 1 tsp Black Bean and Garlic Sauce I recommend Lee Kum Kee brand
  • 1 tbsp Vegetarian Oyster Sauce I recommend Wan Ja Shan brand
  • 1/2 tbsp Sugar
  • Fresh Chillil optional

Garnish

  • Spring Onions optional
  • Toasted Sesame optional
  • Fried Crispy Shallots optional

Instructions
 

Preparing The Eggplant

  • Chop eggplant into large pieces. Soak eggplant in water with a good pinch of salt for at least 30 minutes, try to submerge the pieces by using a heavy plate.
  • After 30 mins, pat dry.
  • In a separate large bowl, mix cornflour, salt, white and black pepper.
  • Toss the eggplant pieecs in cornflour mixture so every piece is coated generously on all sides with the flour mix.

Deep Frying Eggplant

  • Heat a few inches of frying oil in a deep pot or wok.
  • Use a cooking thermometer and heat oil until 180-190ºC. (Alternatively you can test if the oil is hot enough by dipping in put a wooden chopstick to the bottom of your oil. If lots of bubbles rise rapidly out of the tip of the chopstick, you're ready to fry.)
  • Fry eggplant pieces in batches for about 3-4 minutes, turning so that the pieces cook evenly. I would suggest frying in small batches of 5-7 pieces if you have a small pot, or 8-10 pieces if you have a large wok, so that the oil doesn’t lose too much heat.
  • Drain on paper towel and set aside.

Stir-Frying Eggplant

  • Mix black bean sauce, oyster sauce and sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan on medium heat. Cook spring onions until shiny, then add garlic and stir.
  • Add the black bean sauce mix to the pan along with fermented bean curd until it has dissolved.
  • Add eggplant and fresh chilli to the sauce and stir lightly or toss until the eggplant pieces are evenly coated.
  • Garnish with freshly sliced spring onions and toasted sesame seeds!
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