Spicy and Sweet Stir-fried Eggplant with Oyster Sauce
How to Make Delicious Stir-fried Eggplant with Oyster Sauce: A Summer Side Dish Recipe
Eggplant dishes are often enjoyed as refreshing cold soups, and dried eggplant is even used as a side dish during winter. Stir-fried eggplant is a perfect side dish for the summer season. This recipe enhances the natural flavor of eggplant with the savory depth of oyster sauce, adding a spicy kick that makes you reach for more. There isn’t really a ‘golden recipe’ for stir-fried eggplant; it simply becomes more delicious with oyster sauce. Let me show you how to make it using oyster sauce!
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 2 Korean chili peppers (or green bell peppers)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 Tbsp plum extract (maesilcheong)
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp corn syrup (oligosaccharide)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, trim off the hard stem ends of the eggplants. Don’t throw them away; you can collect them and boil them in water later for a healthy drink. Cut the eggplants into bite-sized pieces that are easy to eat. While standard cuts are fine, trying a slightly irregular cut, like the ‘ugly cut’ demonstrated on ‘Sumine Banchan,’ can help the sauce penetrate better and add an interesting texture.
Step 2
Finely chop the Korean chili peppers. You can substitute them with milder green chili peppers if you prefer. Now, add the chopped eggplants and chili peppers to a pan and begin to stir-fry. Many recipes for stir-fried eggplant use only soy sauce, which can sometimes result in a slightly greasy taste. However, adding spicy Korean chili peppers provides a refreshing heat that makes the dish incredibly addictive.
Step 3
Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pan and stir-fry the eggplants until they start to soften and turn translucent. Once the eggplants are somewhat cooked, it’s time to add the seasonings. Mix in 1 tablespoon of plum extract, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes. Since oyster sauce alone might not provide enough saltiness, it’s crucial to add soy sauce as well to achieve the perfect balance of flavor.
Step 4
Finally, add 1 tablespoon of corn syrup for a touch of sweetness and a glossy finish. Because red pepper flakes are included, reduce the heat to low to prevent burning and stir-fry gently. Eggplant absorbs sauces quickly, so you can also consider preparing the sauce separately and pouring it over the eggplant as it cooks – this is a useful tip to keep in mind. Once the seasonings are evenly coated, turn off the heat and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of sesame oil for a nutty aroma, completing your delicious stir-fried eggplant!
