Taiwanese Chilled Eggplant
Looking for a light, refreshing summer dish? This Taiwanese Chilled Eggplant is just what you need. Commonly served as a side orappetizer across Asia, this recipe features tender eggplant chilled and tossedin a savory soy-based sauce with garlic, chili, and Thai basil. It's flavorful,cooling, and incredibly easy to make.To save time, some stepsare done in parallel—such as prepping ingredients while waiting for water toboil. If you're new to this recipe, no worries! You can take it slow by preparing the eggplant, boiling water, and making the sauce in separate steps. Whether you're hosting a summer gathering or just looking for a simple dish tocomplement your meal, this recipe is sure to please.
Ingredients
- 2 Asian eggplants (or substitute with 1large globe eggplant)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 sprigs Thai basil (or regular basil as a substitute)
- 1/2 chili (optional)
Sauce
- 1 tbsp soysauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp drinking water
Instructions
- Prepare a pot ofwater with salt for boiling the eggplant.
- Trim both ends of theeggplants. Cut into 3–4 cm chunks, then slice each chunk in half lengthwise.
- Once the water boils,add the eggplant and cook for about 5 minutes.
- While cooking, finelychop the garlic, chili, and Thai basil. Place them in a bowl for the sauce.
- Check if the eggplantis cooked. Remove and transfer immediately into an ice waterbath.
- While the eggplantchills, add 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tbspfiltered water to the bowl of chopped ingredients. Stir well.
- To serve, drain the eggplant, arrange on a plate, and pour the sauce evenly on top. Enjoy chilled.
