Last Updated on February 9, 2021 by Simon Fan
Chinese eggplant is my favorite eggplant to cook with. Compared with other varieties, Chinese eggplant is more tender, less bitter, and has thinner skin. That means you do not need to salt them to draw out the bitterness, and you can consume them without the need to peel the skin, which is full of nutrients and flavor.
Called qie zi (茄子) in Mandarin, eggplant is widely used in Chinese cooking and stars in well-known dishes such as Fish-Fragrant Eggplant (鱼香茄子).
Chinese eggplant can be cooked in various ways: deep-fried, stir-fried, roasted, braised, grilled, or steamed. The dish I’m sharing with you here is my take on the typical home-style steamed eggplant. Steaming gives the eggplant a delicate and silky texture, and creates a light and easy dish that’s suitable for many occasions. I like to cut the eggplant by making slits through the skin into the flesh, so the sauce can deeply permeate the eggplant. The use of toasted almonds is not traditional, but they add a wonderful textural contrast to the eggplant.
When you make the dish, feel free to adjust the seasoning to your liking. For a version with meat, check out my recipe Steamed eggplant with fish-fragrant pork.
Steamed Chinese eggplant with almonds
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 medium Chinese eggplant, about 6 oz (170 g)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon Zhenjiang (aka Chinkiang) vinegar
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon sliced toasted almonds
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Chili oil, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Place each half on the cutting board with the cut side down. Cut diagonal slits, about ⅛-inch (3 mm) apart, through the skin into the flesh, making sure you do not cut all the way through. Slice each half crosswise into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths.
- To make the sauce, mix well the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil in a bowl.
- Season the eggplant pieces lightly with salt and pepper and place them, skin side up, in a steamer. Steam over high heat until their flesh is very tender, about 10 minutes.
- Arrange the eggplant pieces attractively on a plate. Pour the sauce evenly over them while they’re still hot. You can serve the dish hot or at room temperature. Right before serving, garnish with the almonds and scallion, and drizzle with the chili oil.
