These tangy and spicy Pickled Stuffed Eggplants make a wonderful condiment or side dish. They whet your appetite and are delicious served with steamed rice.
This Pickled Stuffed Eggplants post is one of those that had to sit in draft mode for a while. The season for baby eggplants is late summer and by the time I got round to editing the images at the beginning of fall last year, the season was already over. I decided not to publish the post but wait until spring/summer of this year so that you have a chance to try it. So here it is!
Baby eggplants are a real treat and every summer I would go to the farmer’s market to hopefully find them there. So far, I was able to get some for the past two summers and so I have prepared these Pickled Stuffed Eggplants twice. Obviously we love them and I hope to be able to find more baby eggplants this summer.
The best baby eggplants to use are the Chinese or Japanese type eggplants as they are softer and sweeter. The blanching time depends on the type of eggplants used. The firmer the eggplants, the longer they should be cooked in boiling water to soften. The ones shown here were slightly firmer but they retained their shape better. I actually prefer the softer variety but these were the only kind I could find last summer. Still it turned out quite well, albeit a little crunchier.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb baby Chinese-type eggplants (450g)
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 green onions (minced)
- 1 red chili (seeded and minced)
- 1 inch ginger (peeled and minced) (30g)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ cup soy sauce (60ml)
- ¼ cup rice vinegar (60ml)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Trim off caps of eggplants and make 3 vertical incisions along the length of each eggplant.
- Place eggplants in a large bowl. Sprinkle kosher salt and 1 cup (240ml) water over them.
- Place a plate or bowl over the eggplants to keep them submerged in the salt solution. Allow them to soak for 2 hours.
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Scald eggplants in boiling water for about 3 to 5 minutes to soften depending on the variety. Some eggplants may require a little longer time to soften. Remove and when cool enough to handle, squeeze each eggplant gently so as to its shape.
- Mix minced green onions, red chili, and garlic in a small bowl. Carefully stuff limp eggplants by filling the incisions. Transfer to a pickling container.
- Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Pour over the eggplants. Cover and refrigerate.
- Pickled stuffed eggplants may be eaten the next day. Consume within a week.
NUTRITION
Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day! 😎
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