Best Chinese Eggplant Dip Recipes

CHINESE EGGPLANT WITH GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
• Wash the eggplants, cut the ends off and slice them into equal sized pieces. After slicing, separate the green and white portions of the scallions into roughly two piles.
• Over very high heat, heat a tablespoon of oil in your wok. Add half of the eggplant and let it sear until brown on all sides. You can lower the heat if it looks like they're starting to burn. You want to cook the eggplant for about 5 minutes until they start to get soft and have a nice sear. Take this first batch of eggplant out of the pan, heat a second tablespoon of oil, and do the same with your second batch. Set all the cooked eggplant aside on a plate.
• Set the heat to medium high and add the last tablespoon of oil to the wok, along with the ground pork. After the pork has browned, add the ginger and cook for a minute to let it crystalize with the pork. Stir in the whole red chili peppers and the minced garlic, and after a minute, turn the heat back up to high. Add the eggplant back in, along with the stir-fry sauce, the white parts of the scallions, and the shaoxing wine. Stir-fry everything together for another 2 minutes, making sure everything is well-combined.
• Toss in the rest of the scallions and stir-fry for another 20 seconds. Plate and serve immediately with white rice.

CHINESE EGGPLANT DIP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Place the eggplant on a baking sheet, and prick them in several places with a fork to allow steam to escape. Pour 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil into your hands, and rub the eggplant. Roast them until soft, for 30 to 40 minutes, turning once halfway through the cooking. Remove from the oven, and set aside until the eggplant are cool enough to handle.
• When cool, cut off the stems, and peel the eggplant. Place the pulp in a food processor, and process until smooth. Set aside.
• Heat the remaining vegetable oil, along with the sesame oil, in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, scallions and red-pepper flakes; cook quickly, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar and vinegar. Add to the skillet, and bring to a boil. Stir in the eggplant, and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.