This Chinese eggplant is sooo good you just won’t be able to stop eating it! We added Chinese 5 spice which means that all your tastes are covered in this one salad – from sour, bitter, salty, sweet and umami.
A flavourful salad that will keep vegetarian, vegan, keto, gluten and dairy-free eaters happy.
Great to serve as part of an Asian banquet or as a side at your next BBQ.
Try it with…
Ingredients & substitutions for Chinese eggplant salad
Eggplant :
- We have used the regular eggplant that you will be able to find easily in your supermarket, but feel free to choose whatever type takes your fancy. It can also be made with the Japanese or long eggplant, just cut it into strips, not into rounds.
- Please make sure that you take the time to salt your eggplants for this recipe (refer to tips below).
Pepper, Chillis & Onions :
- I have used hot red chillis and long bullhorn peppers for a combination of heat and a mild pepper taste. But feel free to use just peppers or just chillis – whatever suits your tastes. I have also made it with green onions and without any onions.
- You will need to have a mix of colours and be sure that it all comes to approximately 200 grams.
Ginger & Garlic :
- We have used both ginger and garlic here which is a classic Asian flavour combination. I have substituted the ginger with galangal successfully here as well and have also made it without the garlic and doubled the ginger and it was still a great mix.
- The difference between ginger and galangal is that ginger has more of a fresh, spicy-hot taste with a touch of sweetness while galangal has more of a citrus almost pine-like taste.
The Oils :
- I have used coconut oil to cook the eggplants and it just gives them such a wonderful aroma but you can also use any neutral flavoured oil that you have on hand.
- Sesame oil is used for frying the chilli, pepper and onion mix but if you find sesame oil a bit strong to fry in just use a neutral flavoured oil.
- For the dressing, I have used MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) oil for its neutral taste and toasted sesame oil for its nuttiness.
- Feel free to substitute the MCT oil with any neutral oil but as I cooked my eggplant in coconut oil they just work really well together.
- I do not recommend substituting the sesame oil with anything it is a key ingredient that really makes this salad sing.
Chinese 5 Spice :
- This spice is used to add an Asian accent to any dish and it usually includes a combination of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns.
- You should be able to find it in the spice section of your supermarket or at any Asian market.
- If you are unable to find it however you can try making it yourself by mixing 1 tablespoon each of anise powder, ground – Szechuan peppercorns, fennel, cinnamon and cloves.
- This should make just over ¼ cup, just use whatever you need for this recipe and you can store the leftovers in a glass, sealed container in a dark part of your pantry to use again (great with chicken or pork ribs).
- As a simpler blend try a combination of cayenne pepper, cinnamon and ground cloves this should also work as it covers the 5 tastes of sour, bitter, salty, sweet and umami which is the hallmark of Chinese 5 spice blend.
How to make Chinese eggplant salad
There are several stages to making this salad and so that you are not wasting too much time it is important to get the order of things right.
In reality, there are only 15-20 minutes at the most where you are actively doing something, preparing the eggplant, cutting the vegetables and frying them, making the vinaigrette and then assembling everything.
The rest of the time you are waiting for your eggplants while they are salting (30 minutes) and while they are roasting (40 minutes).
1Prepare your eggplant
Wash your eggplants cut off the tops and bottoms and slice into 2.5 cm (½ inch rounds).
Place in a colander in layers and salt each layer with coarse sea salt, let stand for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 220°C (430°F)
CUT EGGPLANT IN ROUNDS SALT YOUR EGGPLANTS ONE LAYER AT A TIME LET STAND FOR 30 MINS WAIT FOR BEADS TO FORM PAT DRY WITH A TOWEL
2Make your pepper mix.
While your eggplants are salting it is time prepare your pepper mix.
Wash and remove the seeds from your chillis (leave the seeds if you like hot food) then slice thinly.
Wash your bullhorn capsicum (pepper) remove the core and seeds then chop into small dice.
Remove the papery skin from your onion and chop into small dice.
Heat a large frypan on medium to high heat, add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, add your sliced chillis, the diced capsicum and onion and sauté until soft (2-3 minutes).
Mince your garlic clove and grate 1 tablespoon of ginger and add to your frypan and cook until aromatic (approximately 2-3 minutes).
SLICE CHILLIS DICE PEPPERS DICE ONIONS FRY IN SESAME OIL ADD GINGER & GARLIC FRY UNTIL SOFT
3Cook your eggplant
Pat your eggplant dry, and place on a lined baking tray, drizzle with the melted coconut oil and 1 teaspoon of the Chinese 5 Spice powder.
Place on the middle rack of your oven and cook until golden on one side (approximately 15-20 minutes).
Turn your eggplant over and sprinkle with the other teaspoon of Chinese 5 spice and drizzle some additional oil if your eggplant is looking a bit dry. Return to the oven and cook for a further 10-15 minutes).
PLACE EGGPLANT IN TRAY
& ADD 5-SPICECOOK UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN, TURNING HALF WAY
4Make your vinaigrette
While your eggplants are cooking wash your coriander (cilantro), pat dry and chop roughly, then place to one side.
Add all your vinaigrette ingredients to a glass jar and shake until emulsified (there is no need to season as there will be enough seasoning from the salted eggplant and from heat from the chillies).
PLACE ALL YOUR DRESSING INGREDIENTS IN A GLASS JAR SHAKE YOUR VINAIGRETTE
UNTIL EMULSIFIED
5Assemble your salad
Arrange your eggplants on a round platter, pour over your dressing, then place your chilli mix on top of the eggplant, scatter the chopped coriander on top of the chilli mix and serve when you are ready.
ARRANGE EGGPLANT ON A PLATTER POUR OVER YOUR VINAIGRETTE SCATTER YOUR CHILLI MIX ON TOP ADD YOUR CORIANDER (CILANTRO)
Some tips for making this Chinese eggplant salad
- It is essential that you take the time to salt the eggplant for this salad we want to draw out the moisture and concentrate the flavour of the eggplant so it has a creamier more luscious texture.
- Make this salad with the dressing the day before to allow the flavours to develop and soak through the eggplant this will transform it into little sponges of deliciousness. Just add the chopped coriander (cilantro) just before serving.
- A great salad to food prep for weekday lunches as it keeps so well in the fridge. Just add the coriander the day before.
- It travels well so it is perfect to take to picnics, pot lucks or barbecues.
Ingredients
For the eggplants
- 1.2 kg eggplants (approximately 3 medium)
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 tsps Chinese 5-Spice powder
- Coarse sea salt
For the chilli mix
- 3 long chillis approximately 60 grams
- 2 bullhorn peppers (or banana capsicums – approximately 80 grams)
- 1 small onion (approximately 60 grams)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
For the Chinese 5-spice Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup MCT or any other neutral oil
- 2 tbsps sesame oil
- ¼ cup rice vinegar (use non-seasoned for keto and lime juice for gluten-free)
- 2 tbsps soy sauce (use coconut aminos or tamari for keto & gluten free)
- ½ tsp Chinese 5-Spice powder
Instructions
- Wash your eggplants cut off the tops and bottoms and slice into 2.5 cm (½ inch rounds).
- Place in a colander in layers and salt each layer, let stand for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 220°C (430°F).
- Wash and remove the seeds your chillis (leave the seeds if you like the heat) then slice thinly.
- Wash your bullhorn capsicum (pepper) remove the core and seeds then chop into small dice.
- Remove the papery skin from your onion and chop into a small dice.
- Heat a large frypan on medium to high heat, add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, add your sliced chillis, the diced capsicum and onion and sauté until soft (2-3 minutes).
- Mince your garlic clove and grate 1 tablespoon of ginger and add to your frypan and cook until aromatic (approximately 2-3 minutes).
- Pat your eggplant dry, and place on a lined baking tray, drizzle with the coconut oil and 1 teaspoon of the Chinese 5 Spice powder.
- Place on the middle rack of your oven and cook until golden on one side (approximately 15-20 minutes).
- Turn your eggplant over and sprinkle with the other teaspoon of Chinese 5 spice and drizzle some additional oil if your eggplant is looking a bit dry. Return to the oven and cook for a further 10-15 minutes).
- Wash your coriander (cilantro), pat dry and chop roughly, place to one side.
- Add all your vinaigrette ingredients to a glass jar and shake until emulsified (there is no need to season as there will be enough seasoning from the salted eggplant and from heat from the chillies).
- Arrange your eggplants on a round platter, pour over your dressing, then place your chilli mix on top of the eggplant, scatter the chopped coriander on top of the chilli mix and serve when you are ready.
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