Description
A staple summer Xiaocai in Taiwan where gooey eggplant—steamed while maintaining its beautiful purple color—is thoroughly chilled and drenched in a special garlic soy and sesame oil sauce.
Restaurants serving Cold Steamed Eggplant
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Long eggplant
- Garlic
- Thick soy sauce
- Black vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Cilantro
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- [Secret to Color Fixing] Cut Taiwanese long eggplant (high moisture/soft) into 5cm pieces, then halve lengthwise. To keep the beautiful purple color, immediately soak in 'water with a little vinegar' for a few minutes.
- Boil water in a steamer on high (abundant steam is crucial).
- Arrange eggplant skin-side 'down (or up)', steam rapidly on high for 5-
- mins (taking too long turns it brown).
- Immediately shock in ice water to fix the purple color, squeeze out water lightly, and chill in the fridge.
- [Special Sauce] Blend massive grated garlic, soy sauce, Taiwan's sweet 'Jiangyou Gao', black vinegar, sesame oil, and a little sugar.
- Arrange chilled eggplant on a plate, pour the special garlic soy sauce heavily, and scatter chopped scallions and cilantro.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Intense raw garlic aroma
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Japanese eggplant (slightly harder, adjust steaming time)
Pairing
Light porridge or noodle soups
Trivia
[For Women] Chinese eggplant dishes usually involve 'oil-blanching (frying)', but this is only steamed, making calories drastically low—a strong ally for dieting women. The garlic punch provides very high satisfaction even without oil.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Split the gooey eggplant with chopsticks, letting the garlic-heavy sweet/savory sauce soak deeply into the white flesh before eating!
Allergen
Soy, Wheat, Sesame