Spicy Hoisin Eggplant
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Serves: 6
I love eggplant! It was a vegetable I grew up eating. My mom would simply slice them into rounds, salt and pepper them, and roast them in the oven. Bland, but I did like the taste of eggplant.
My husband, on the other hand, is a different story. Even adding all the Asian flavors to this dish, I still have not won him over. However, he has fallen in love with Baba Ghanoush from some local Greek restaurants. Go figure. I guess I need to hop onto that recipe development.
I had been sitting on this recipe for a few years, allowing other recipes to override my thoughts, but finding the “galaxy of stars” eggplant at an Amish Farm Market kicked me back into gear to finish the recipe out.
I live in East Tennessee where this vegetable is available pretty much year-round. I picked eggplant from several different local chain grocery stores, but I fell in love at a farmers market when I found the “galaxy of stars” variety. There was only one left, and I grabbed it up. You better believe I would’ve wrestled any of those older ladies there for that eggplant.
Considering this was only one they had, I have combined it with the other ones I previously picked up – the traditional American/globe eggplant. But, use whatever is available and you can get your hands on.
Some people will peel their eggplant; I roast mine long enough to soften the skin. I personally like textural complexities and the visual contrast of colors.
Serve this as a side dish or as a vegetarian filling for lettuce wraps.
You can use any variety of onion that you’d like. I used sweet onions and loved it!
This is really a simple, straightforward recipe. Whisk the marinade, toss the diced vegetables, roast, and dig in!
If you make this recipe, please add a photo and tag me on your Instagram.
Enjoy!
Spicy Hoisin Eggplant
Ingredients
- 3 medium eggplants, diced into 3/4" pieces
- 2 onions, diced into 3/4" pieces
- 2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced, divided
Marinade:
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
- 1 tablespoon chile-garlic sauce, or according to taste, see Notes
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, not seasoned
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced, or pushed through garlic press
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated on a microplane, or finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, my favorite brand here
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil lightly sprayed with nonstick spray, such as Pam, or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside and allow the marinade to sit for the flavors to marry while you chop the vegetables.
- Add the eggplant, onions, and half of the green onions to a large bowl. Pour in about half of the marinade and toss to thoroughly coat. Add the remaining marinade and toss the vegetables again. Pour the veggies onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading them evenly.
- If you cannot get all of the eggplant mixture onto one baking sheet, you can either cook in batches or bake on two racks in convection mode. If you use convection, you will need to cook at 400 degrees for the same amount of time.
- Bake for 15 minutes, stir, and bake for another 20 minutes or until the eggplant is tender.
- Remove from the oven, scrape into a serving bowl, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the remaining green onions. Serve warm.
Notes
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