This Chinese-inspired eggplant stir-fry has crunchy white onions, lots of garlic and basil, and an umami-packed glossy sauce. Ready in just 20 minutes.
If you’re looking for an easy eggplant stir-fry to rival your favorite Chinese restaurant’s, you’ve found it. Made with buttery Chinese eggplants, along with crunchy onion, garlic, ginger, and basil, this stir-fry is deliciously saucy and packed with irresistible umami.
The best part: Chinese eggplants do not need to be salted before cooking, which means you can have this stir-fry on the table in just 20 minutes.
Read on for all my cooking tips and the best trick for avoiding greasy eggplant.
Quick Recipe Summary
- What: Easy vegan stir-fry made with Chinese eggplants, garlic, and basil, coated in a thick, glossy sauce.
- Why You’ll Love It: It’s a quick, foolproof way to cook Chinese eggplants, and the cornstarch-based sauce elevates it to restaurant-fancy status. Plus, it all comes together in just one pan.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- Eggplant: This recipe is easiest to make with Chinese eggplant (the long and skinny kind – pictured below) because it doesn’t require pre-salting. You can make this recipe with other types of eggplant – like globe or Sicilian – but I do recommend salting those first (instructions below).
- Onion: You can use white, yellow, or red onion here.
- Soy Sauce: The base of the stir-fry sauce.
- Rice Vinegar: Adds tanginess to the sauce. If all you have is seasoned rice vinegar, go ahead and use it – just skip the maple syrup.
- Maple Syrup: Can be subbed with honey.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce and helps it coat the eggplant. Can be subbed with arrowroot starch.
- Fresh Garlic + Ginger: Do not substitute with dried.
- Basil: If you can find it, Thai basil is best. If not, regular Italian basil also works.
How to Make Chinese Eggplant Stir-Fry (Step-by-Step Photos)
Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card below.
Step 1: Cut the Eggplant
First halve the eggplants lengthwise, then cut each half on a diagonal into 3/4-inch pieces. (If you’re using another type of eggplant, salt it before cooking – instructions below.)
Step 2: Sear the Eggplant
Place the eggplant in a skillet with oil over medium heat. (It should be mostly in a single layer, but a few overlapping pieces are okay.) Season with salt and pepper, and cover with a lid. Cook undisturbed until golden on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Then toss and continue cooking until golden on most sides, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes more.
Step 3: Prep the Sauce
While the eggplant is cooking, in a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, and a bit of water.
Step 4: Finish the Stir-Fry
When the eggplant is ready, remove it from the pan and briefly set aside. Add sliced onions to the pan and cook for just about 2 minutes – they should be slightly browned but still crunchy.
Then add the eggplant back in, along with the sauce and basil. Quickly toss to make sure the eggplant is evenly coated. Cook for about 30 more seconds, just until the sauce has thickened.
Tips for the Best Stir-Fried Eggplant
- Cover the pan. (This is my #1 tip!) Putting a lid on the skillet while the eggplant is searing traps moisture in the pan and helps soften the eggplant, which speeds up the cooking process and allows you to use less oil.
- Cook it mostly undisturbed. During the first ~4 minutes of pan-frying, resist the urge to move, flip, or otherwise zhuzh the eggplant. It needs to make prolonged contact with the pan in order to properly brown.
- Use cornstarch in the sauce. Whisking a bit of cornstarch (or arrowroot) into the sauce helps the sauce thicken and adhere to the eggplant pieces in a beautiful glossy way.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan dish can be served warm or at room temperature, as a meatless main course (alongside rice or noodles), or as a side dish. Turn it into a complete Asian-inspired feast with sesame garlic edamame, cucumber kimchi salad, and/or veggie stir-fried noodles.
How to Salt Eggplant
If using globe or Sicilian eggplants for this stir-fry, I recommend salting them first in order to draw out some of their bitterness and soften their flesh. To salt, slice the eggplant into similar-sized pieces. Arrange in a single layer on a cutting board and sprinkle both sides with salt. Set aside for about 15 minutes. When the eggplant looks sweaty, pat it dry with paper towels and proceed with cooking.
Storage Info
Store leftover eggplant stir-fry in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 4 days. It is best reheated in the microwave. I don’t recommend freezing this dish because the texture of the eggplant would be negatively impacted.
More Eggplant Recipes to Try
- Mediterranean Pan-Fried Eggplant
- Roasted Eggplant Sandwich
- Ottolenghi-Inspired Tahini Eggplant
- Eggplant Chickpea Curry
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
The Full Recipe
Chinese Eggplant Stir-Fry
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2–4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Tender Chinese eggplant in a savory glossy sauce with onions, garlic, and basil. Ready in just 20 minutes with no salting required.
Ingredients
- 2 large Chinese eggplants (3/4 to 1 pound)* [see note below]
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or another neutral oil)
- Fine sea salt + freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar*
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1/2 medium white or red onion
- About 8 medium basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- Halve the eggplants lengthwise, then cut each half on a diagonal into 3/4-inch pieces.
- Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add the avocado oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the eggplant – it should be mostly in a single layer, but some overlapping pieces are okay. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cover tightly with a lid. Cook undisturbed until the eggplant is golden on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Then flip and continue cooking until the eggplant is golden all over, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, mix up the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, cornstarch, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.
- When the eggplant is ready, remove it from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the onion to the skillet and cook just until it’s lightly brown but still crunchy, about 2 minutes.
- Then add the eggplant back in, along with the soy sauce mixture and basil. Immediately toss to coat the eggplant and continue cooking just until the sauce thickens, about 30 seconds more.
Notes
- If you can’t find Chinese eggplant, you can use globe or Sicilian instead. I do recommend salting those first, though – see instructions above the recipe card.
- If you only have seasoned rice vinegar, go ahead and use it – just skip the maple syrup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 135
- Sugar: 250 mg
- Fat: 8.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.5 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 1.8 g
Kris says
This came out well! Great recipe – thank you
Alexandra Shytsman says
Glad it worked out for you!