1. If you can find Chinese bean paste – add 1 tablespoon to the stir-fry and cut the soy sauce to just 1 teaspoon.

2. The original Chinese Eggplant recipe  uses Chinese Black Vinegar – which is very similar to young balsamic vinegar. You can use either. The balsamic vinegar should be tart, not sweet – so don’t use the expensive super-aged super-thick sweet stuff (save that for your strawberries).

3. If you can’t find Chinese or Japanese eggplants, just use globe eggplant! Cut in similar sized strips. Baby globe eggplant is really good too. No need to salt. Just rinse, cut into thin wedges.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 161 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil divided

  • 3 eggplant small, cut into long strips

  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced

  • 1 red chile pepper finely minced

  • 1/2 inch fresh ginger peeled and finely minced

  • 1 green onion chopped

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon black vinegar Chinese black vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  1. In a wok or saucepan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil and swirl to coat wok. When wok is hot, add eggplant in a single layer. Cook 2 minutes and flip over each piece so they cook evenly. Cook another 2-3 minutes, flipping occasionally.The egg plant should have changed in color, the skin wrinkled and the flesh soft.

  2. Push eggplant aside in wok and add 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Add garlic, red chile peppers, ginger and green onion. Stir these aromatics until they become fragrant. Combine aromatics with eggplant and stir fry for one minute. Add soy sauce, black vinegar and sugar and stir to combine all. Serve immediately.

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