Vietnamese Sweet & Spicy Eggplant

Vietnamese Sweet & Spicy Eggplant

Eggplant can be tricky to make – if you undercook it, it’s chewy and if you overcook it, eggplant falls apart and is mushy. Here’s a delicious way to cook eggplant so the edges are crispy, perfectly cooked through, and it’s coated with a delicious sweet and spicy sauce.

This entrée recipe is a contest entry using Serious Foodie’s Vietnamese Sweet Chili Hot Sauce condiment, which may be found here.  Serious Foodie is made using a small batch, artisan approach, with an eye on the quality of each and every ingredient, down to the salt they use. Serious Foodie looks to use at least one ingredient in each product that is region-specific.

Vietnamese Sweet & Spicy Eggplant Recipe

I used Japanese eggplants in this recipe because they are long and easy to cut into thin slices. In a pinch you could use regular large eggplant, but just make sure to slice the eggplant in 1/4″ thin pieces (or less!) Don’t cut yourself. 🙂

The beauty of the Serious Foodie’s Vietnamese Sweet Chili Hot Sauce is that it tastes amazing and is all that is needed to coat the cooked eggplant and make it taste like it’s from a restaurant! Even those who are not eggplant fans are going to love this!

Vietnamese Sweet & Spicy Eggplant Recipe

You Will Need:

  • 1 large Japanese eggplant per person
  • 1 jar of Serious Foodie’s Vietnamese Sweet Chili Hot Sauce
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • vegetable oil (canola or other high heat tolerant vegetable oil)
  • salt
  • water
  • fresh basil (Thai Basil preferred)
  • Grains: Serve over rice, quinoa or any other favorite grain – or eat by itself! This eggplant is THAT good!
  • Sesame seeds (optional)

How to Prepare:

Slice up enough eggplant for the number of people you are serving. I am cooking for two, so I sliced up two long Japanese eggplants in a diagonal style.

Cut eggplant diagnolly

Lightly salt all of the pieces and then dredge each side in corn starch in a large bowl.

Heat vegetable oil in a large fry pant on medium high heat.

Place pieces down carefully into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on one side before flipping. You’ll know when to flip because the eggplant will change color and become a little more translucent and wet. Flip and the cooked side should be slightly browned and crispy. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Turn heat to MEDIUM and spoon in 3 tablespoons of Serious Foodie’s Vietnamese Sweet Chili Hot Sauce over the eggplant.

Also, slowly add about 1/4 cup of water or less. Cover the pan and give it a slight shake or two to really coat everything. Let it cook for about 2-3 more minutes, tossing at least once in between.

Peek inside and the liquid should be cooked into the eggplant and well-coated. Remove from heat.

Eat the eggplant in a big bowl topped with fresh basil leaves and sesame seeds, or put it over some rice or other grain of choice.

Vietnamese Sweet & Spicy Eggplant Recipe

Make it extra saucy by drizzling even MORE Serious Foodie’s Vietnamese Sweet Chili Hot Sauce!  Enjoy!

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