How to Make Roasted Eggplant

Simple, convenient, and incredibly fragrant.

Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★

Essential Ingredients and Tools

• Eggplant
• Cooking oil
• Soy sauce (light soy sauce)
• Minced garlic
• Chili peppers
• Cumin
• Table salt

Measurements

For two servings:

• 1 Eggplant (approx. 200g)
• 20-30 ml Cooking oil
• 4-6 g Soy sauce
• 1 Thai chili pepper (approx. 20g)
• 3-4 cloves Minced garlic
• 1-3 g Cumin
• 0.5-2 g Table salt

Instructions

• In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, cumin, table salt, minced garlic, and chopped Thai chili peppers. Mix evenly and set aside.
• Wash the eggplant and pat it dry with a paper towel to remove surface moisture.
• Use a fork to poke 4-8 holes on one side of the eggplant.
• Apply 15-25 ml of cooking oil to coat the entire surface of the eggplant.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C (with fan on high) for 2 minutes.
• Place the eggplant in the middle or upper rack of the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes. It is ready when the surface is wrinkled and can be pressed down 0.3-0.5 cm deep.
• Remove the eggplant and use a knife to make a vertical slit down the center, leaving 1-1.5 cm at the top and bottom uncut.
• Insert a small knife or fork into the slit and cut through the interior vertically.
• Gently open the slit and pour the prepared sauce over the eggplant.
• Return the eggplant to the oven and roast at 200°C for 4-7 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and turn off the power.

Additional Notes

The final result is similar to roasted eggplant from a street BBQ stall; it smells amazing!

Precautions: If the eggplant surface is wet, not fully coated with oil, or not pierced with a fork, it may burst during roasting.

Suggested Improvements: When making the initial cut, you can slice the eggplant in half lengthwise first, then score the interior before applying the sauce.

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improving the process after following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull request.