Larger eggplant can be difficult to cook with, but Asian varieties are shaped more like zucchini and are easier to cut and to cook. In this Japanese eggplant with ginger these tasty rounds are sautéd in a ginger-heavy sauce until they’re perfectly golden brown.
You can serve this eggplant with noodles or rice, as it’s tasty both ways. This healthy meal also has the advantage of coming together in no time, making this one of the few dinners that ticks all the boxes of tasty, healthy, and quick.
To make sure these eggplant don’t get soggy a quick toss with some cornstarch before frying does the trick.
I love using the long eggplant instead of the harder-to-cut ones that are often used many recipes. They tend to have a little less water in them and so they cook faster and don’t get mushy as quickly.
There’s also some tasty mushrooms to go along with the eggplant. You can leave it there or add the protein of your choice to the mix as well.
The sauce for this dish is made from garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and some sesame oil. In just a few ingredients a complex sauce comes together with some of the signature flavors of Japanese cuisine.
Served with some soba or ramen noodles this eggplant is really hearty as a main dish. You can also serve this as a tasty side dish to chicken or beef, too. If you love eggplant then this recipe is another one to add to your line up.
Japanese Eggplant with Ginger
Diet: Vegetarian Vegan
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, or more as needed
- 1 lb cremini mushrooms, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 5 Japanese eggplant, sliced into disks
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce plus more as needed
- sliced scallions for garnish
Preparation
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until softened and beginning to brown- about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove to metal or ceramic bowl.
- Add eggplant and cornstarch to large bowl. Toss well to combine. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan and heat over medium. Add eggplant to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping once.
- Work in batches and add more oil as needed. Place eggplant on paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to pan along with garlic and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds then add mushrooms, eggplant, and soy sauce to pan. Toss to coat. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped scallions.
- Serve as a side or on rice or noodles.
Recipe adapted from Flavor Feed.