Name: Vietnamese Roasted Eggplant
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 2 large eggplants, rinsed; 3 sprigs scallions, roughly chopped; 3 sprigs cilantro, roughly chopped; 2 Tbsp fried shallots or crispy fried onions; 2 cups water; 1 Tbsp loose leaf green tea (optional); 1 cup water; 1/2 cup palm sugar or raw cane sugar; 1/4 cup white vinegar; 1/4 cup fish sauce or Healthy Boy Brand Mushroom Soy Sauce; 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled & minced; 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly; 2 Thai chili, chopped (optional)

Ingredients

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Roasted Eggplant

2 large eggplants, rinsed
3 sprigs scallions, roughly chopped
3 sprigs cilantro, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp fried shallots or crispy fried onions
2 cups water
1 Tbsp loose leaf green tea (optional)

Fish Sauce (Can be made vegan)

1 cup water
1/2 cup palm sugar or raw cane sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup fish sauce or Healthy Boy Brand Mushroom Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled & minced
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
2 Thai chili, chopped (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 425º F. Fill a cake pan (large enough to fit the eggplants) with 2 cups of water, leaving about an inch or two free. You can add loose leaf green tea in the water for extra aroma.
In a small saucepan, combine all of the liquid ingredients & bring to a boil on high heat, stirring gently. Turn down the heat to medium-low once it reaches a boil. Add sugar, water, fish sauce/mushroom soy sauce, &/or salt to your liking. Add the garlic & chili once the sauce is to your liking, stirring for 2 minutes. Remove from heat & set aside.
With a fork, poke each eggplant about 4-5 times. The holes do not have to be very deep. With a knife, score the eggplants lengthwise 3-4 times.
Place the water-filled pan on the lowest rack in your oven. Place the eggplants above the cake pan on the top rack. If you’re using a castiron skillet, add about 1 Tbsp of canola or safflower oil to the pan & place the eggplants on the pan. Roast for about 15-20 minutes. Flip the eggplants over with tongs & continue to cook for 15-20 minutes.
When the eggplants are finished roasting, carefully remove them with oven mitts or your tongs. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes & peel off the skin. Eggplants should be fairly mushy & soft.
Plate the eggplants & create grooves with a fork. Sprinkle scallions, cilantro, & fried shallots onto eggplants. Top with fish sauce & enjoy!

Notes

You can get fish sauce or the Healthy Boy Brand Mushroom Soy Sauce from an Asian grocer where it’s much cheaper than purchasing on Amazon.
Serve with jasmine rice or rice vermicelli noodles
Extra fish sauce should be bottled & saved for your next Vietnamese dish!

Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Category: Mains
Method: Roasted
Cuisine: Vietnamese