Eggplant is a versatile vegetable you can cook in many ways, and with this spicy sauce recipe, you’ll be able to enjoy this dish in under 30 minutes! Bonus, when you use organically sourced ingredients, you won’t need much to make it tasty!
In this recipe, the star is the organic ingredient I used. This is best to make when you plant your own chives, chili peppers, and eggplants. If not, then I recommend going to your trusted local market that has organic ingredients so you can try this out!
The recipe and produce (thanks umma!) are not mine, but my mom’s. She hands down cooks the best food in the family because all her ingredients are always farm-to-table. Even condiments like sesame oil, she gets all her pantry essentials from locals in Korea whenever she goes there!
If you want to see more Mama Cho recipes, try Spicy Cucumber Salad, Spicy Radish Salad, and Radish Kimchi!
How Do You Fry Eggplants in a Pan??
The nature of eggplants is to naturally “wilt” when you cook them. If you overcook it, it’ll turn so soft that it practically melts in your mouth. For this reason, some people like to coat it with eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs to make them crispy and to add some texture, but that’s not necessary here.
Fry the eggplants directly in a pan. Use less oil because the eggplants are going to absorb them. Cooking them in a lot of oil will only make them greasy and we don’t want that. Fry until you see charred markings and they’ve turned soft. Do it for both sides.
You can opt to roast them in the oven at 390F for 30-35 mins, flipping at the 20-minute mark. You can also air fry them at 375F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Make sure to brush the eggplants with oil beforehand in both methods. Doing this will take longer time, but will ensure that there’s less oil absorbed.
Spicy Eggplant Sauce
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For the sauce, it’s a pretty straightforward recipe. Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, gochugaru or red pepper flakes, and crushed sesame seeds, then mix in your chopped chives and peppers. I would add about a tablespoon of sugar to make it tastier and to balance the spice, but we’re keeping this Mama Cho style!
Once the eggplants are fried and the sauce is mixed together, top the eggplants with the sauce conservatively or according to your preference. Again, the eggplants basically absorb what you add to them, so be conservative or generous according to your liking.
Serving Spicy Eggplant
I was honestly surprised by how good this was when I tasted it, and I don’t even like eggplants! The freshness of all the ingredients, especially the peppers and chives in the dipping sauce was great!
If you ever want to take a break from eating meat, then this is definitely one way to go. Pair this with some Korean multigrain rice, and you have one pretty great meal!
Other healthy recipes you might like:
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Eggplant with Spicy Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 pcs Eggplants Vertically halved
- 1 1/2 pcs Green Chili Peppers Minced
- Handful of Chives Minced
- Vegetable or Canola Oil For frying
Sauce
- 1 tbsp Gochugaru
- 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds Crushed
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
Instructions
- Chop the vegetables accordingly.
- Assemble the sauce then add the chives and chili peppers. Set aside.
- In high heat and splash of oil, fry your eggplants for about 2 minutes per side.
- Once the eggplants are beautifully cooked, plate them and top them with the sauce!
- Drizzle with a little sesame oil and finish with some sesame seeds!
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