Home Cook Together. Celebrate Life.

ChineseAuthentic Cuisine

Chinese Eggplant Stew

Serves 4 to 6 Entree vegetarian

Chinese Eggplant Stew

Chinese Eggplant Stew is a beloved dish in home kitchens, where the art of seasoning by hand, a generous use of fat, and a table readied for sharing are key. This version captures the essence of a Chinese family’s approach, where the everyday ingredients of eggplant, tomatoes, and onion are transformed into a comforting stew. It’s a dish that finds its place in casual family dinners, bringing warmth and satisfaction to the table.

The stew should deliver a rich, velvety texture, with eggplant pieces softening into the oil and garlic, while tomatoes lend a subtle sweetness. The onion’s gentle bite rounds out the flavors, enhanced by hand-tuned salt and pepper. Serve this as a centerpiece of a shared meal, where each spoonful brings a harmonious blend of soft, savory, and sweet to the palate.

Ingredients

  • 2eggplants
  • 2tomatoes
  • 1onion
  • 80 mlolive oil
  • 3 clovesgarlic
  • to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Start by washing and drying 2 eggplants and 2 tomatoes. Cut the eggplants into bite-sized cubes, about 1 inch each, and dice the tomatoes into small pieces. Peel and finely chop 1 onion and 3 cloves of garlic. Season the eggplant cubes lightly with fine sea salt and let them sit for about 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture, which will help them absorb flavors better.
  2. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan or wok, heat 80 ml of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent and soft, which should take about 5 to 7 minutes. This slow cooking will bring out the sweetness of the onion, forming a flavorful base for the stew.
  3. Add the minced garlic to the pan with the onion. Stir for about 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant, but be careful not to let it brown, as this can make it bitter. Immediately add the salted eggplant cubes to the pan, stirring to coat them evenly in the oil and aromatics.
  4. Cook the eggplant over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften and take on a golden color. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes. The eggplant should be tender but not mushy, absorbing the flavors of the onion and garlic.
  5. Add the diced tomatoes to the pan, stirring to combine. The tomatoes will release their juices, creating a sauce that will meld with the eggplant. Continue to cook until the tomatoes break down and the stew thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. The eggplant should be fully tender and the sauce should have a rich, cohesive texture.
  6. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with fine sea salt and black pepper to your preference. The dish should be well-balanced, with the sweetness of the tomatoes and onions complementing the savory eggplant. Serve the Chinese Eggplant Stew hot, ideally with steamed rice or crusty bread for a complete meal.
Cover of Authentic Chinese Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Chinese Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Chinese Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Chinese volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

Available soon on Amazon…

Explore Chinese cuisine