Chewy and Spicy Seasoned Eggplant Salad
Enjoy a wonderfully chewy eggplant salad without stir-frying! A unique take on eggplant.
Say goodbye to mushy eggplant! This chewy, spicy, and flavorful eggplant salad will awaken your taste buds. It’s simple yet incredibly delicious.
Main Ingredients- 2 eggplants
- 4-5 fresh shiitake mushrooms
Seasoning Ingredients- 1/5 green onion or scallion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce (anchovy or sand lance)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oligosaccharide or corn syrup (adjust sweetness to taste)
- 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin)
- A pinch of toasted sesame seeds
- A drizzle of sesame oil
- 1/5 green onion or scallion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce (anchovy or sand lance)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oligosaccharide or corn syrup (adjust sweetness to taste)
- 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin)
- A pinch of toasted sesame seeds
- A drizzle of sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, trim the stems off the eggplants and wash them thoroughly under running water. For the shiitake mushrooms, remove the tough stems and gently wipe them clean with a paper towel.
Step 2
To achieve a chewy texture and reduce mushiness, slice the eggplants diagonally into about 1cm thick pieces. Slicing them too thinly can make them soft. Cut the shiitake mushrooms into bite-sized pieces, or leave small ones whole.
Step 3
Heat a non-stick pan over very low heat. Do not add any oil. Place the sliced eggplant and mushrooms directly into the dry, heated pan. Keep the heat low to prevent burning, and gently flip them as they cook.
Step 4
The eggplant is ready when its thickness reduces by about one-third and it feels tender and has released some of its moisture. This indicates it’s cooked perfectly.
Step 5
Arrange the cooked eggplant and mushrooms on a wide plate. Let them cool down and release steam. It’s important to let them cool completely before seasoning to prevent them from becoming too soft or mushy.
Step 6
While the eggplant is cooling, let’s prepare the seasoning. Finely mince the green onion or scallion. This will add a lovely aromatic touch to the dish.
Step 7
Mince the garlic cloves. Freshly minced garlic will provide a much better flavor than pre-minced garlic.
Step 8
In a bowl, combine the minced green onion, minced garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, oligosaccharide, red pepper flakes, and cooking wine. Mix well to create the seasoning sauce. You can adjust the amount of oligosaccharide based on your preferred sweetness.
Step 9
Add the cooled eggplant and shiitake mushrooms to the bowl with the seasoning sauce. Gently toss everything together to ensure the seasoning coats all the pieces evenly. Be careful not to mash the eggplant.
Step 10
Taste the seasoned eggplant and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding a little more soy sauce or fish sauce for saltiness.
Step 11
Finally, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil. Gently toss one more time to distribute these finishing flavors. This helps coat everything beautifully.
Step 12
Enjoy your delicious and chewy eggplant salad, which is flavorful and satisfying without being oily! Have a healthy and wonderful day!
