Crispy-Fried Eggplant

Ganbian Qiezi (干煸茄子)

Fresh eggplant is deep fried until crispy and golden and then stir fried with spicy chilies, numbing Sichuan pepper, and fragrant garlic.

The Chinese word translated here as Crispy-Fried literally means Dry-Fried (干煸). This is because, when food is fried quickly in hot oil, all the water evaporates. This cooking method is extremely important to Sichuan cuisine and can be found in numerous dishes such as Crispy-Fried Chicken (干煸鸡) and Flash-Fried Green Beans (干煸四季豆).

In China, there are many varieties of eggplant and most are small and egg-shaped. However, there are a few long varieties, which are perfect for the following recipe. These long eggplants are perfect for crispy frying because they have low moisture and when fried, become golden and crisp. For this recipe, I used two eggplants each about 12-inches long and about 1 1/2 to 2-inches in diameter. The size and shape of eggplant can vary widely so adjust the recipe to the amount of eggplant you plan to cook.

Crispy-Fried Eggplant has simple but classic flavors like chili, Sichuan pepper, ginger, and garlic. It's spicy and numbing but also fragrant and flavorful. It can be quite spicy, but the heat is balanced by the aromatics. The texture will be satisfyingly crispy, but soft and light on the inside similar to perfectly cooked potato wedges.

Unlike other stir-fry dishes, I would not recommend adding ingredients not contained in the recipe below. Sichuan dishes can have a lot of variety in the ingredients and methods used to prepare them. However, with Crispy-Fried Eggplant, there is a slight limitation: the crispiness. If fresh ingredients are added, especially at the wrong time, the eggplant will lose all crispiness. If this happens, the dish will still taste great, but the texture is not quite as enjoyable. This happened to me the first time I tried preparing the dish. I had added scallion along with the seasonings. The moisture in the scallion (though minute) was immediately absorbed, and my once crispy eggplant was now soggy mush. Therefore, by trial and error, I learned the best time to add fresh scallion or cilantro would be as a garnish after the dish is plated. The heat from the dish is more than enough to infuse the fragrant topping once mixed.

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 25 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

1 - 2 long Eggplants
1/4 - 1/2 cup Corn Starch

Aromatics and Chilies
2-inch block of Ginger (Optional)
2 - 4 cloves of Garlic
1 cup of 1-inch-pieces of Dried Red Chilies (About 10 grams)
2 tsp. Sichuan Pepper (About 3 – 5 grams)

Garnish
2 green stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)

Frying Ingredients
Peanut Oil

Seasonings
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. MSG
1/2 tsp. Chicken Bouillon
1/2 tsp. White Sugar

Finishing Oil
2 tsp. Chili Oil OR Scallion Oil

Directions

1.) Wash the Eggplant, peel it completely, and cut off both ends, creating a cylinder. Cut the Eggplant into 2-inch wedges by starting at the edge, cutting at a 45-degree angle, rotating cut-side up, cutting again, and repeating all the way down the length of the Eggplant. Place the wedges in a large bowl.

2.) Add the Corn Starch to the Eggplant and mix thoroughly until every piece is thoroughly coated. (The amount of Corn Starch will vary depending on the amount of Eggplant pieces).

3.) Peel and slice the Ginger and Garlic, setting aside on one section of a large plate. Snip the Red Chilies into 1-inch pieces and place on a different section of the plate. Add the Sichuan pepper to the plate.

4.) Wash the Scallion and cut it into 2-inch long pieces. Place in a bowl separate from the Aromatics and Chilies.

5.) Fill a wok about 1/3 full, and no more than half full, with Peanut Oil and heat on high. When the Oil is extremely hot but not smoking, add the Eggplant wedges and fry until golden and crispy. Remove the Eggplant from the hot Oil with a wire strainer.

(When the Eggplant is added to the hot oil, the water will rapidly bubble out. So, DO NOT overfill the wok. Also, do not crowd the wok and fry in batches if necessary).

6.) Pour the Oil into a large pot to cool, but add about 1/4 cup of the hot oil back to the wok. Return the wok to heat and when hot, add the Aromatics and Chilies stir frying until fragrant and all moisture has evaporated.

7.) Add the Eggplant and remove from heat while quickly adding the Seasonings (Salt, MSG, Chicken Bouillon, and Sugar) and Finishing Oil (Chili Oil). Return to heat and stir fry just a few seconds until everything is mixed thoroughly. Plate the Crispy-Fried Eggplant, top with a few strips of Scallion, and serve immediately.

 

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