Liang Ban Qie zi

Liang Ban Qie Zi (Cold Tossed Chinese Eggplant)

A classic Sichuan-style cold appetizer of silky steamed eggplant dressed in a sharp, sweet, and savory garlic-ginger-vinegar sauce. It's light, refreshing, and comes together in well under an hour.

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1.1 lb) Chinese long eggplant, or 3–4 medium globe eggplants
• •6 g (about 3 cloves) garlic, finely minced
• •5 g (1 tsp grated) fresh ginger
• •20 ml (4 tsp) Chinkiang black vinegar, do not substitute with Western balsamic
• •15 ml (1 Tbsp) light soy sauce
• •8 g (2 tsp) granulated sugar
• •5 ml (1 tsp) toasted sesame oil
• •3 ml (½ tsp) Sichuan chili oil with sediment, optional, for mild heat
• •2 g (½ tsp) salt, for the steaming water
• •15 g (2 Tbsp) scallion, thinly sliced, for garnish
• •5 g (1 tsp) toasted sesame seeds, optional garnish

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the eggplants, trim the stems, and cut them lengthwise into halves (long varieties) or into 2 cm (¾-inch) thick wedges (globe). Leave the skin on for color and structure.
2. 2 Set up a steamer over rapidly boiling water. Place the eggplant pieces in a single layer on a heatproof plate that fits inside the steamer, cover, and steam over high heat.
3. 3 Steam long eggplants for 12–15 minutes, or globe wedges for 15–18 minutes. They are done when a chopstick pierces the flesh with no resistance and the interior is fully soft and creamy.
4. 4 While the eggplant steams, make the sauce: in a small bowl combine the minced garlic, grated ginger, Chinkiang vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and chili oil. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
5. 5 Carefully remove the hot plate from the steamer. Using tongs or chopsticks, transfer the eggplant to a shallow bowl or tray, draining off any pooled water that collected in the skin.
6. 6 While the eggplant is still warm (not hot), gently pull each piece apart lengthwise into rough strips with chopsticks or two forks, letting them collapse into silky shreds. Do not rinse.
7. 7 Pour the garlic-ginger-vinegar sauce evenly over the warm eggplant and toss very gently so the flesh soaks up the dressing without breaking apart. Let it rest 10–15 minutes to absorb and cool to room temperature.
8. 8 Taste and adjust: add a pinch more sugar if too sharp, a few more drops of vinegar if flat. Transfer to a serving plate, scatter the sliced scallion and sesame seeds on top, and serve at room temperature.