This Pan Fried Eggplant with Garlic Chili Vinaigrette takes less than 20 minutes to prepare. It is light, tasty, and goes well with a bowl of steamed rice.
I hope you all had a wonderful Father’s Day weekend. This year I got to celebrate with my Dad here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was wonderful that my brothers from out of state were able to return for the weekend as well. Unfortunately, I cannot be in two places at the same time but I am thankful my boys were able to spend time with their dad back home in Minnesota.
And now, for today’s post… Did I tell you that I really enjoy eggplants? Yes, I do. Ro-Ri San likes them too and so do the boys. That is why I can’t resist bringing a couple home whenever I see them at the grocery store. They are pretty bland on their own but upon cooking, their raw spongy texture absorbs all the accompanying flavors to become deliciously “melty” and meaty. Eggplants are very versatile and can be pickled, steamed, pan fried, deep fried, grilled, roasted, braised, or cooked in a curry. I cook them often as they make a wonderful side dish.
Steamed Eggplants are a family favorite. The dish is easy to prepare and can be ready in under 20 minutes. Sometimes I prefer to pan fry the eggplants instead and have them dressed with a slightly spicy and tangy sauce using bottled garlic chili sauce available at most grocery stores.
Tools Used in Making This Pan Fried Eggplant with Garlic Chili Vinaigrette
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• T-fal Thermo-Spot Heat Indicator Anti-Warp Base Glass Lid Cookware, 12-Inch, Gray
• Le Creuset of America Craft Series Medium Spatula – Marseille
Pan Fried Eggplant with Garlic Chili Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 medium Chinese eggplants (about 1 lb/450g)
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp garlic chili sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 green onion (thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Cut eggplants into ¼-inch thick slices on a diagonal.
- Heat one tablespoon vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan. Place eggplant in a single layer and pan fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip eggplant and drizzle another tablespoon of oil into the pan. Continue to fry for another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
- Mix garlic chili sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Drizzle sauce mixture over eggplants.
- Garnish with green onions and serve immediately.
Nutrition
This simple and tasty Pan Fried Eggplant with Garlic Chili Vinaigrette goes really well with a bowl of steamed rice. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Another eggplant dish that may interest you is Vegetable Moussaka. Do check it out.
Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day! 😎
kitchenriffs says
Eggplants are such great flavor sponges – they soak up the flavors of whatever ingredients they’re prepared with. I like spicy and I like garlic, so it follows that Chili Garlic sauce is pretty high on my list of good things. Nice recipe – so flavorful. Thanks for this.
Mina Joshi says
Wow….really tempting. I have made egg plants dipped in batter or in curries. I like this new variation. Enjoy your time with family.
Kitchen Belleicious says
i love eggplant, I love garlic, i love chili and i love the combination of them all! Pan-frying the eggplant is perfection- best way to do it
Reem | Simply Reem says
I am glad you had a beautiful Fathers day weekend with ur DAD!!!
this looks really nice, I love eggplant.
I have a quick question; How can I prevent eggplant from getting dark after cutting my get realy dark even after keeping them in water.
Biren says
Try adding some salt to the water before soaking the sliced eggplants. That usually helps.
Kristi Rimkus says
Hi Biren – I haven’t visited in a bit. I love the new look of your blog. Very nice! I’m a new convert to eggplant and have come to love them. I’ll be trying this recipe for sure.
Biren says
Thanks Kristi! I try to keep the blog looking fresh and updated. I hope you get to try this recipe soon. 🙂
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
I’m glad to hear you had a great Father’s Day, Biren! I love eggplant and this looks delicious!
myfudo says
I never thought fried eggplant can be served as festive and flavorful as your recipe. I am definitely trying this out.
denise @ singapore shiok says
Eggplant in a spicy and tangy sauce is also a favourite at our house. They really are amazing flavour sponges! Sometimes I shallow fry the eggplant. When I’m feeling guilty though, they go into the steamer. Either way is delicious. Your version looks lovely!
debbie says
can I use regular eggplant? A small size?
Biren says
Yes, you can but taste and texture will be slightly different. Regular eggplant is “meatier”.
ally says
i have been looking for eggplant recipes & you have just solved my search!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.ca/
cooking rookie says
Oh wow, this looks absolutely delish! And I have some eggplants. I got to try it as soon as I can eat – just got a tooth extracted :-(.
Biren says
I hope your gums heal soon. Take care!
R.A. says
I had all the items to make this so we had it for dinner. My husband said I could make this “anytime”. We both loved it! I am always open to new recipes for vegetables.
Raymund says
This is a really good pair with some meat, love pan fried eggplants specially when they are coooking, the aroma of it is so good!
mjskit says
I wish I had seen this yesterday, I would have made it last night! We had eggplant last night and I wanted to do something a little different than normal. It turned out good, but this would have been better! What a great recipe and one that I will do for my next eggplant purchase! BTW – I’ve always thought an eggplant dish like this would be difficult to photograph, but you did an awesome job! The food looks delicious!
Tina (PinayInTexas) says
I love eggplants too! This is a very simple yet fabulously delicious way to enjoy it!
I’m glad to know that you had a wonderful time celebrating Father’s Day with your dad.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
This is simple and flavourful with spicy vinaigrette.
Ramona says
I love how you used the chili sambal here!! Delicious and well done. 🙂
Sonia says
Biren, Thanks for your call and so sorry i could not made it to meet you. I hope to meet you next time when you come back again. I like to prepare this type of pan fried eggplants, just drizzle with soy sauce, already taste super..Yours sound so yummy too.
Jeannie says
I love eggplant too, this version looks delicious and so easy to cook!
PolaM says
I can never resist eggplants! And these look so gooooood!
cooking rookie says
I made these yesterday for dinner, we had them with rice – delish! I had some pre-baked eggplants frozen, so it took even less time :-). The sauce was delish. My only adjustment was cutting down on sambal oelek about 10 times – it’s waaaay too spicy for us. Thanks for the recipe – one more hit!
p.s. and I am still thinking about roti canai all the time, but so far no time to make them.. one happy day…
Biren says
Thanks for coming back to let me know. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. 😀 Yes, sambal oelek can be really spicy for some. I use the garlic chili sauce which has about the same level of heat. I guess I am used to it.
The roti canai is a project by itself. In the mean time, do go get a quick fix with the frozen ones. I think you should be able to find it at the Asian grocery stores.