Spicy Eggplant & Glass Noodles
In my travels to China, I was inspired by so many incredible dishes from hole-in-the-wall cafes to fancy restaurants. This eggplant dish was something I had in a small restaurant in Hangzhou. It awoke my tastebuds with spicy, savory, and vinegary flavors. I just had to recreate it at home!
Spicy Eggplant & Glass Noodles
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 large globe eggplant cut in half lengthwise
- 50 g glass noodles soaked in tap water until soft
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bird’s eye chili sliced into small pieces
- 1 bunch of cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 stem of green onions sliced into small pieces
Sauce:
- ½ Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon black Chinese vinegar
- ½ Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190℃ (375℉).
- Brush the eggplant with vegetable oil and roast cut-side down for about 20 minutes or until soft and cooked. The skin will become wrinkled when it’s cooked.
- Drain the water from the glass noodles and pour hot boiling water to the noodles. Leave for 2 minutes and drain in a colander. Set the noodles aside.
- Mix the ingredients for the sauce together in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- In a large pan, add a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Fry the garlic until golden and remove while retaining the oil in the pan. Add the cooked eggplant skin side down.
- Top the eggplant with the glass noodles. Pour the sauce on top and let it cook for about a minute or two until combined with the noodles and eggplant. Press the noodles down to the eggplant with a flat spatula. Place on a plate, sprinkle the fried garlic, cilantro and green onions on top.
Notes
You can eliminate the chili for a non-spicy dish.
