Everyone has probably seen these long, thin, purple eggplants in the produce section of a supermarket. They are usually right next to the »regular« somewhat chubby-looking eggplants. These eggplants are called Japanese eggplants, but sometimes they are also called Chinese eggplants. Dunno why. Here I am using them for a Korean dish to add another Asian country into the mix: Gochujang Eggplant with Rice. An absolute delicacy!
I have the feeling that people outside of Asia sometimes don’t take Asian recipes very seriously. Cooks often borrow ideas from different Asian cuisines and then mix them together with stuff from other parts of the world. Korean Tapas or Thai Sushi, for example. It’s also called fusion cuisine. I love it, but you have to honor the parts that create the dish as much as the result. Mashups like this are often very delicious.
My little mashup here isn’t really a mashup. Even though the long eggplants are not necessarily associated with Korea in the first place, but they are still used in recipes from that country. No matter where something is coming from – nowadays you can get it everywhere else in the world. The long eggplants are just very practical when you want less flesh and more skin from your eggplants…
Of course, you could also use regular (chubby) eggplants for this recipe. If you cut the thick eggplants into sticks, you will end up with some sticks that don’t have any skin on them. These pieces will get a bit softer when cooked or might fall apart, but that’s ok. You could also cut those eggplants into thick slices first and then quartered them – then you got triangles instead of sticks. Doesn’t matter. In terms of flavor, it doesn’t really matter which type of eggplant you use. You could also use the colorful speckled or white eggplants for this dish if you prefer those.
We like to serve Gochujang eggplant with some rice. Very quick and easy to do. You could also prepare the eggplants for a rice bowl and then add other stuff as well – some spicy fried minced meat, sour-spicy pickled veggies, etc.
If you ever cooked with eggplants, you might know they love to soak up oil and fat. That’s what they do when you fry them. To use less fat, you can simply roast the eggplants in the oven – 200°C for 25-30 minutes should be enough to get the same results. Prepare the sauce as described in the recipe, and bring the sauce and roasted eggplants together in a wok or large frying pan and give the dish the finishing touches. That’s all. No need to make it more complicated than necessary.
If you are cooking Korean food for the first time, you will probably have to buy Gochujang*. You can get it either online or go to an Asian supermarket. The package Gochujang comes in tends to be quite large. Much more than you need for one dish, but that is fine – you can use it to season many other dishes (does not have to be a Korean dish). My easy Kimchi Fried Rice is another recipe that uses Gochujang and is one of our favorite dishes to make whenever we are not in the mood for a long cooking session.
Well… if you can’t decide what to do with other eggplants you have at home – why not try one of my other eggplant recipes? These purple thingies are used in recipes all over the world! A simple Mutabbal (or Baba Ganoush, as it is often called) is a super tasty eggplant dish and easy to prepare. A classic Ratatouille with zucchini, tomato, and eggplant requires a little more work, but the extra effort is definitely worth it.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(3-4 servings)
For the eggplants:
some toasted sesame oil for frying
3-4 Chinese eggplants (or 2 regular eggplants)
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cornstarch*
For the dish & sauce:
1 spring onion, in rings & divided
2-3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp. ginger, finely grated
2 tbsp. soy sauce*
1 tbsp. rice vinegar*
1 tbsp. maple syrup*
2 tsp. cornstarch*
2-3 tsp. Gochujang*
cooked rice for serving
some sesame seeds for decoration (optional)
(3-4 Portionen)
Für die Auberginen:
etwas geröstetes Sesamöl zum Anbraten
3-4 chinesische Auberginen (oder 2 normale Auberginen)
1 TL Salz
1 EL Speisestärke*
Für das Gericht und die Soße:
1 Frühlingszwiebel, in Ringe geschnitten und geteilt
2-3 Knoblauchzehen, fein gerieben
1 TL Ingwer, fein gerieben
2 EL Sojasauce*
1 EL Reisessig*
1 EL Ahornsirup*
2 TL Speisestärke*
2-3 TL Gochujang*
gekochter Reis zum Servieren
einige Sesamsamen zur Dekoration (optional)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Clean and dry the eggplants, and remove the green parts. Quarter the eggplants lengthwise and cut them into 2-inch (5cm) sticks. If you use regular eggplants, cut them into sticks as well. Combine the eggplant sticks with the salt in a bowl and let sit for about 15 minutes. Remove any water that has been collected in the bowl and dry the eggplants with kitchen paper. Add the cornstarch and mix it with the eggplant. Set aside.
2. While the eggplants sit in the bowl, prepare the next ingredients and the sauce. Clean the spring onion and cut it into very fine rings. Divide the white parts and the green parts (those are for the decoration). Peel the garlic and grate it finely. Grate a piece of ginger finely to get about 1 teaspoon. Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, and cornstarch to a small bowl and mix until no more lumps of cornstarch are visible. Set aside. This is also a good time to cook some rice.
3. Heat a large wok*, add the sesame oil and heat up – you want the oil to be quite hot. Add the drained and dried eggplant sticks and stir-fry for about 5-6 minutes or until browned and softer (but not mushy). Add the white parts of the spring onion, grated garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry with the eggplants for a minute or so until everything is fragrant. Next, add the sauce and mix everything – let cook for a moment until the sauce has thickened. Finally, add the Gochujang and mix it in. Maybe start with 1-2 teaspoons and add more if you like it hot. Serve the eggplants on cooked rice and sprinkle with the green parts of the spring onion and some sesame seeds (optional).
1. Die Auberginen säubern, trocknen, die grünen Teile entfernen, dann der Länge nach vierteln und in etwa 5cm lange Stifte schneiden. Wer normale, dickere Auberginen verwendet, schneidet diese ebenfalls in Stifte. Die Auberginenstifte mit dem Salz in einer Schüssel vermengen und etwa 15 Minuten ziehen lassen. Das Wasser, das sich in der Schüssel angesammelt hat, entfernen und die Auberginen mit Küchenpapier trockentupfen. Die Speisestärke zur Schüssel dazugeben und mit den Auberginen vermischen. Zur Seite stellen.
2. Während die Auberginen in der Schüssel mit dem Salz ziehen, kann man schon die nächsten Zutaten und die Soße vorbereiten. Die Frühlingszwiebel säubern und in sehr feine Ringe schneiden. Die weißen und die grünen Teile trennen (die grünen Ringe sind für die Dekoration). Den Knoblauch schälen und fein reiben. Ein Stück Ingwer fein reiben – es wird etwa 1 TL gebraucht. Sojasoße, Reisweinessig, Ahornsirup und Speisestärke in einer kleinen Schüssel verrühren, bis sich die Stärke komplett aufgelöst hat. Zur Seite stellen. Jetzt ist auch ein guter Zeitpunkt, um etwas Reis zu kochen.
3. Einen großen Wok* mit etwas Sesamöl erhitzen – das Öl sollte recht heiß werden. Die mit Stärke ummantelten Auberginenstifte dazugeben und etwa 5-6 Minuten unter ständigem Rühren anbraten. Die Auberginen sollten gebräunt und weicher sein, aber nicht matschig. Als Nächstes die weißen Teile der Frühlingszwiebel, den geriebenen Knoblauch und Ingwer dazugeben und etwa eine Minute lang mit den Auberginen anbraten, bis alles schön duftet. Die Soße dazugeben und alles verrühren und kurz kochen lassen, bis die Flüssigkeit im Wok etwas andickt. Zum Schluss das Gochujang dazugeben und unterrühren. Wer es nicht ganz so scharf mag, nimmt vielleicht besser nur 1-2 TL, alle anderen können ruhig mehr verwenden. Die fertigen Auberginen auf gekochtem Reis servieren und mit den grünen Teilen der Frühlingszwiebel und einigen Sesamkörnern bestreuen (optional).
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Gochujang Eggplant with Rice
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:10
- Total Time: 00:35
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: -
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegan
Description
One of our favorite Korean inspired dishes we love to prepare on a weeknight because it’s done so quickly: Gochujang Eggplant with Rice. So good!
Ingredients
For the eggplants:
some toasted sesame oil for frying
3-4 Chinese eggplants (or 2 regular eggplants)
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cornstarch*
For the dish & sauce:
1 spring onion, in rings & divided
2-3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp. ginger, finely grated
2 tbsp. soy sauce*
1 tbsp. rice vinegar*
1 tbsp. maple syrup*
2 tsp. cornstarch*
2-3 tsp. Gochujang*
cooked rice for serving
some sesame seeds for decoration (optional)
Instructions
1. Clean and dry the eggplants, and remove the green parts. Quarter the eggplants lengthwise and cut them into 2-inch (5cm) sticks. If you use regular eggplants, cut them into sticks as well. Combine the eggplant sticks with the salt in a bowl and let sit for about 15 minutes. Remove any water that has been collected in the bowl and dry the eggplants with kitchen paper. Add the cornstarch and mix it with the eggplant. Set aside.
2. While the eggplants sit in the bowl, prepare the next ingredients and the sauce. Clean the spring onion and cut it into very fine rings. Divide the white parts and the green parts (those are for the decoration). Peel the garlic and grate it finely. Grate a piece of ginger finely to get about 1 teaspoon. Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, and cornstarch to a small bowl and mix until no more lumps of cornstarch are visible. Set aside. This is also a good time to cook some rice.
3. Heat a large wok*, add the sesame oil and heat up – you want the oil to be quite hot. Add the drained and dried eggplant sticks and stir-fry for about 5-6 minutes or until browned and softer (but not mushy). Add the white parts of the spring onion, grated garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry with the eggplants for a minute or so until everything is fragrant. Next, add the sauce and mix everything – let cook for a moment until the sauce has thickened. Finally, add the Gochujang and mix it in. Maybe start with 1-2 teaspoons and add more if you like it hot. Serve the eggplants on cooked rice and sprinkle with the green parts of the spring onion and some sesame seeds (optional).
Notes
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