Chinese Steamed Eggplant Salad with Chili Oil

This will be your new favorite way to eat eggplants! Tender, silky, and juicy eggplant glazed in a savory, umami, and subtly sweet dressing, and finally invigorated by a splash of aromatic sizzling chili oil - it's a flavor party on a plate! And it's super easy and quick to make.

Eggplants are so underappreciated. They have such a magical texture - fluffy white, tender, moist, and "meaty", and it soaks up flavor literally like a sponge. Their vibrant purple skin is packed with antioxidants that can prevent our bodies from cellular damage, reduce the chances of many diseases, and keep us young. They also contain good amounts of potassium, manganese, folate, and Vitamin K, all of which a lot of us are probably taking supplements for!

If you think you hate eggplants, well, not for nothing but my eggplant recipes like Miso Eggplant, Gochujang Eggplant, and Doubanjiang Eggplant have converted many, many eggplant haters and I believe this recipe would do the same and provide you with an even easier and more summer-friendly option!

And the type of eggplant I used in the video is unfortunately not ideal for this dish, however, this large round eggplant is the only type available to me locally. I highly recommend using the thin, long, Asian eggplants if you could find any!

Watch the video for tips on how to prevent eggplants from oxidizing and turning unpleasantly dark during cooking. And don't forget to come hang with you on Instagram and Tiktok ^^

INGREDIENTS:

1 large eggplant or 2 medium ones

2 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white vinegar

For the dressing -

1 scallion, chopped

1-2 green chili pepper, chopped

2 red chili pepper, chopped (adjust to your preferred level of spiciness)

3 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoon mushroom "oyster" sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1-2 tablespoon avocado oil

1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn (more if you like more numbing feeling)

1 bay leaf

TO MAKE:

- Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, then slice each half in four, depending on the size of your eggplant;

- In a large bowl, add in the eggplant, water, salt, and white vinegar, and let them soak for 10 minutes;

- Then gently squeeze out any excess water, bring your steaming pot to boil over high heat, place the eggplants onto the steaming drawer, SKIN SIDE UP;

- Cover and steam for 10 minutes over medium-high heat, till tender;

- Meanwhile prepare the dressing, chop all the aromatics and whisk together with the "oyster" sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar;

- In a small sauce pot, heat the oil with the Sichuan peppercorns and bay leaf over medium heat for about 15 minutes, you should see a gentle bubbling around the spices;

- Once the eggplants are done steaming, let them cool down a little, then either cut or hand shred them into thin strips;

- Arrange the eggplant strips onto a plate, pour the dressing evenly over them, then drizzle on the hot infused oil, enjoy the sizzling and aroma! Serve warm or cold.

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