🥢 Cantonese-Style Eggplant with Garlic
(Recipe tip from Sam)
Do you know that feeling? After a long day on the water, you crave something hearty – but you still want to be back on the water early tomorrow, without risking your board sinking to the bottom during a lull because you overdid it in the kitchen? Then we’ve got just the thing – light, yet packed with flavor.
Why these ingredients?
Because it’s Sam’s Mom’s recipe – authentic, delicious, and made with lots of love. But that’s not the only reason: these ingredients bring more than just flavor – they’re kitchen classics with an extra dose of comfort factor.
🍆 Eggplant – Botanically a fruit vegetable, loved for its velvety texture when cooked right. It contains fiber and is often considered pleasantly filling without being too heavy. Perfect when you don’t want to fall into a food coma at night and still be fit for your morning session.
🌱 Spring onion – Light, fresh, and adds a bit of crunch – a great contrast to tender eggplant.
🧄 Garlic – A true classic with cult status, delivering deep flavor without too much salt.
🌶️ Chili – For a little kick with a subtle fruity note.
💨 Why steam?
Steaming preserves the structure and aroma of the ingredients – especially for eggplants. They turn buttery soft while keeping their shape and bite. And it uses less fat than frying, making the dish lighter and easier to digest.
"What?! – but you always drizzle plenty of oil over it!"
"Psst... 🤫 – Yes, you can, but you don’t have to." 😉
The recipe:
Steamed Eggplant with Garlic Sauce, Cantonese Style
(Serves two – or one really hungry person)
Ingredients
For the main ingredient:
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1 tbsp finely chopped spring onion
For the garlic sauce:
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped (divided into two portions)
- 1 large bird’s eye chili (adjust to heat preference, or replace/omit for milder)
- 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (e.g. rapeseed or sunflower)
Instructions:
1. Steam setup:
Heat 500 ml water in a wok or large pot – this will become our steam.
2. Prepare the aroma base:
In a small pot, heat 2 tbsp oil and fry half the chopped garlic until it smells irresistible. Don’t let it get too dark – it’ll turn bitter.
3. Mix the sauce:
In a bowl, combine all remaining sauce ingredients (including the raw half of the garlic and chili). Carefully pour in the hot garlic oil.
4. Prep the eggplant:
Trim the ends, cut lengthwise in half. Lightly score the cut surface in a crosshatch pattern (don’t cut all the way through). Place on a deep heatproof plate or small bowl. Set the plate with the eggplant on a rack in the steam. Steam for 15 minutes.
5. Garlic action:
Pour the hot sauce evenly over both halves – it should soak nicely into the cuts.
6. Steam again:
Place a steamer rack or small trivet in the wok (careful, hot!). Put the eggplant plate on top, close the lid, and steam for another 10–12 minutes over medium heat.
7. Finish:
Remove the lid, sprinkle over the sliced spring onion, put the lid back on for another 2 minutes – dinner is ready.
✅ A few extra tips:
🌈 For vibrant color:
If you halve the eggplant before steaming, you can briefly soak it in salted water or rub with a little lemon juice – it helps keep the deep purple color.
🍚 Rice on the side?
Absolutely! Traditionally, jasmine rice is used – simple, so the sauce shines. We usually go for Royal Tiger jasmine rice. Tasty, mid-range price, and available in many Asian grocery stores or supermarkets. (No, we don’t get anything for mentioning it 😉.)
If you try out this recipe and find yourself already dreaming of your next vacation, take a look at our Beach House Collection. There you’ll find furniture and accessories that bring a seaside vibe straight into your home.
PS: This is simply a recipe tip from our kitchen – not a diet plan and not science. Try it, enjoy it, and do whatever you want with it 😉
