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Gochujang Eggplant (Asian Style Glazed Eggplant)

Umami, sweet, spicy, and sticky glazed eggplants that will literally rock your world. The tender, juicy, silky flesh packs so much flavor with the luscious sauce and the ever-so-slight char on top. If you think you don't like eggplants, try this recipe first before you carve that in stone ;)

My miso glazed eggplant is one of my most recreated recipes ever. I can honestly tell you, no one who ever tried the recipe didn't end up LOVING it, especially people who thought they hated eggplants. And this gochujang version is a new twist based on that widely loved recipe! It has another layer of sweet and spicy taste from the gochujang and I was instantly addicted.

One controversial thing though - what about salting the eggplant? Salting the eggplant is a step where you cut open the eggplant, sprinkle and rub salt onto the flesh side, and let it sit to let out any excess liquid. While it is a very effective method to get rid of any bitterness, it is not always necessary. It really comes down to the quality and nature of your eggplants.

In some regions and during certain seasons, the eggplants you get might be a bit tough and bitter, and in that case, you should definitely salt the eggplants before cooking and it'll "save" the eggplants from any unpleasant bitter taste; however, if you can get fresh, tender eggplants that are naturally slightly sweet and not bitter, then this salting step is unnecessary. The eggplants I'm using here are very tender and not bitter at all, so I did not do the salting step because there's really no reason to add all that sodium.

Watch the video for the easy-to-follow visual guide and if you make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram and Tiktok I'd love to see you creation!


INGREDIENTS:

1 large eggplant

1 scallion and extra white sesame for garnish

Canola oil for cooking


For the glaze -

1 tablespoon gochujang

2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoon white sesame seed

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 teaspoon coconut amino

1 teaspoon rice vinegar


TO MAKE:

- Preheat the oven to 410°F;

- Cut the eggplant in half, and score the flesh sides with a criss-cross diamond pattern, be careful not to cut through the skin;

- In a large nonstick pan, heat a drizzle of canola oil over medium-high heat, sear the eggplants flesh side down first, for about 4 minutes until the flesh is golden brown;

- Flip the eggplants and sear the skin sides for another 3 - 4 minutes, until the skin is slightly wrinkled;

- Finally, flip the eggplants one more time and sear the flesh sides again for 1 minute;

- Meanwhile, mix together all the glaze ingredients until smooth and well combined;

- Transfer the eggplants to a baking pan lined with parchment paper, spread the glaze evenly onto the two halves;

- Roast in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes until cooked through and the sauce is bubbling, adjust the time depending on the size of your eggplant, bigger ones require longer to cook through and vice versa;

- Garnish with chopped scallion and extra white sesame seeds, serve hot with steamed rice, enjoy!


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