Crispy garlicky eggplant with stir-fried rice is a simple plant-based meal built around two delicious components. Japanese eggplant is sliced into thick discs, salted to draw out excess moisture, then coated in a light batter and fried until crisp.
The crispy eggplant is tossed in a sweet chili garlic sauce made with garlic, chili flakes, sweet chili sauce, vinegar, mirin, and soy sauce. Alongside it, rice is stir-fried with fresh peas, pea shells, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes.
The result is a satisfying combination of crispy eggplant, sweet and spicy garlic sauce, fluffy rice, and fresh spring peas.
Ingredients
For the Crispy Eggplant
- Long Japanese eggplants
- Salt, for drawing out moisture
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Water, as needed
- Oil, for frying
Beer can also be used instead of water in the batter. It gives the coating a lighter texture.
For the Pea & Tomato Rice
- 1 cup rice
- Fresh peas
- Pea shells
- Peppers
- 2 cloves garlic
- About 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Tomatoes
For the Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Chili flakes
- Sweet chili sauce
- Vinegar
- Mirin
- Soy sauce
- Salt
For Serving
- Spring onions, optional
Prepare the Eggplant
Start with long Japanese eggplants.
Cut off the ends, then slice the eggplant into discs about 1/4 inch thick.
Place the sliced eggplant into a bowl and add quite a bit of salt.
Toss the slices well so the salt coats them evenly. The salt helps draw moisture out of the eggplant, which gives you a better texture when frying.
Let the eggplant sit for about 15 to 20 minutes.
This resting time also gives you enough time to soak the rice and prepare the batter.
Soak the Rice
While the eggplant sits, measure 1 cup of rice.
Place the rice in water and let it soak for about 15 to 20 minutes.
After soaking, wash the rice and prepare it for cooking.
Meanwhile, you can start working on the other parts of the meal.
Make the Eggplant Batter
Add about 6 tablespoons of flour to a bowl.
Next, add about 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Gradually add water while mixing.
The batter should be fairly thin. It should be thinner than pancake batter rather than thick and heavy.
If you have beer available, you can use it instead of water. Beer creates a lighter coating when the eggplant is fried.
Once the batter reaches the right consistency, set it aside and let it rest.
Prepare the Fresh Peas and Rice
The rice can now go on to cook.
While the rice is boiling, prepare the pea mixture.
Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan.
Add 2 cloves of garlic and let them cook until fragrant.
Next, add the peppers.
Then add the pea shells first because they are a little tougher and need more time to cook.
Add the fresh peas as well.
Give everything a good stir and let the vegetables cook together.
Once the peas and shells have cooked, set the mixture aside while you wait for the rice to finish.
Add the tomatoes to the pea mixture when ready, then set everything aside.
Make the Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce
Heat a pan over medium heat.
Add some olive oil, followed by the garlic.
Let the garlic cook gently until fragrant.
Next, add a little chili flakes for heat.
Add some sweet chili sauce, followed by a little vinegar and mirin.
Stir everything together.
Then add some soy sauce and a little salt.
The finished sauce should be sweet, spicy, garlicky, and slightly tangy.
Set the sauce aside while you fry the eggplant.
Fry the Eggplant
Before frying, check that the oil is hot enough.
Take one piece of eggplant and dip it into the batter. Allow the excess batter to drip off before placing it into the oil.
The eggplant should sizzle as soon as it hits the pan.
If it does not sizzle, give the oil more time to heat.
For this recipe, around 320°F is a good frying temperature. The oil needs to be hot enough for the coating to immediately adhere to the eggplant while still giving the eggplant enough time to cook through.
Once the temperature is right, continue frying the battered eggplant.
Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry only a few pieces at a time so the temperature stays steady and the coating becomes crisp.
Cook the eggplant until the outside is crispy and golden.
Remove the finished pieces from the oil and continue with the remaining eggplant.
Finish the Pea & Tomato Rice
Once the rice has finished cooking, add it to the prepared pea mixture.
Add all of the cooked rice and stir everything together.
The fresh peas, pea shells, peppers, garlic, and tomatoes should be distributed throughout the rice.
Toss everything gently so the rice stays light and the vegetables remain intact.
Toss the Crispy Eggplant in the Sauce
Now take the crispy fried eggplant and add it to the sweet chili garlic sauce.
Toss the pieces gently until they are coated.
The crispy coating picks up the sweet, spicy, garlicky sauce while still keeping some of its crunch.
Work fairly quickly at this stage so the eggplant retains as much crispness as possible.
How to Serve Crispy Garlicky Eggplant
To serve, add the fresh pea and tomato rice to a plate or bowl.
Place the crispy eggplant over the rice.
Spoon or toss the sweet chili garlic sauce over the eggplant.
Finish with some sliced spring onions if you like.
The finished dish brings together crispy eggplant, sweet chili garlic sauce, fresh peas, tomatoes, peppers, and fluffy rice.
Crispy Garlicky Eggplant with Stir-Fried Rice
This crispy garlicky eggplant recipe is all about texture and contrast.
The Japanese eggplant becomes tender inside while the light flour and cornstarch coating turns crisp in the hot oil. Salt helps remove excess moisture before frying, while the thin batter keeps the coating light rather than heavy.
The sweet chili garlic sauce adds another layer of flavor with garlic, chili flakes, sweet chili sauce, vinegar, mirin, and soy sauce.
Alongside the eggplant, the rice gets tossed with fresh peas, pea shells, peppers, garlic, and tomatoes. The fresh vegetables give the rice a bright contrast to the rich and crispy eggplant.
Serve everything together while the eggplant is hot and crispy, and finish with spring onions for a fresh bite.
Watch the Full Recipe Video
Want to see every step of this Crispy Garlicky Eggplant with Stir-Fried Rice Recipe in action? Watch the complete video tutorial to see how the eggplant is prepared, how to make the light batter, how to build the sweet chili garlic sauce, and how the fresh pea rice comes together.
📺 The full step-by-step video is available below. Simply press play and cook along with us!
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