Grilled Chinese Eggplant with Garlic and Ginger Sauce Recipe

Updated August 09, 2018

I tend to find eggplant either crazy delicious, like these eggplant spirals, or totally off putting. I couldn't quite put my finger on why until I tried out this recipe for Chinese eggplant with a garlic and ginger sauce.

I grilled eggplant slices, and they looked perfect when they were beautifully browned and pulled off the grill. I then nestled my wok right onto the coals, quickly sauteed some garlic, ginger, scallions, and chiles, and tossed in the eggplant and sauce, letting it cook until thickened. It looked so mouthwatering, and I eagerly took a first taste. It had a deep ginger flavor that I love, along with the type of sauce that makes good Chinese food. But something was not right--the texture of the eggplant. In contrast to the creamy eggplant texture I do enjoy, these were a bit too mushy for my palate.

That said, I had a true eggplant lover on hand when I made this, and she found these delicious. So for someone without my hangups, this is an excellent recipe.

Recipe Details

Grilled Chinese Eggplant with Garlic and Ginger Sauce Recipe

Prep 30 mins

Cook 15 mins

Total 45 mins

Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Chinese or Japanese eggplant, cut diagonally in 1/2-inch slices
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 to 3 jalapeño or serrano chiles, minced

For the Sauce:

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, rice wine, rice vinegar, honey, and cornstarch. Set aside.
Light one chimney full of charcoal.When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals out evenly. Alternatively, set all the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes.Clean and oil the grilling grate. Bush the eggplant slices with the sesame oil and grill over medium heat until they have softened and the purple color is gone, turning half-way through. Remove to a plate.
Remove the cooking grate and place your wok directly on top of the coals. Swirl in the canola or peanut oil. If the wok is hot enough, the oil should move quickly around the wok. Add the garlic, ginger, scallions, and chilies. Stir for 10 seconds, until brown and fragrant. Add the eggplant and stir for 1 minute. Stir the sauce and add it to the wok. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until sauce thickens. Remove to a bowl and serve hot or cold.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
151	Calories
5g	Fat
24g	Carbs
3g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	151
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g	6%
Saturated Fat 1g	4%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 662mg	29%
Total Carbohydrate 24g	9%
Dietary Fiber 5g	18%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 9mg	46%
Calcium 31mg	2%
Iron 1mg	5%
Potassium 327mg	7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.