This recipe is one of our favorites from Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking, our December 2019 pick for BA’s Cookbook Club. We like to think of this sweet and salty dish as a sort of vegetarian bulgogi. Marinating and pan-frying eggplant keeps it firm, flavorful, and chewy—almost meaty. The marinade glazes it as it cooks, so it glistens. Prepared this way, the eggplant looks very special, even though the recipe is easy. It’s a versatile dish that makes a great side for rice and many other preparations. The eggplant tastes wonderful right off the stove, but it’s even better after a few hours, when all the flavors have had time to mingle and deepen. Seek out Korean eggplants, if possible, which are sold in Korean markets. They are thinner than ordinary eggplants and the skin is more tender. But regular eggplants work, too.
Excerpted from Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking: From Everyday Meals to Celebration Cuisine ©️ 2019 by Maangchi. Photography ©️ 2019 by Maangchi. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Recipe information
Yield
4 side servings
Ingredients
¼
3
1
¼
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
Preparation
Step 1
Mix onion, garlic, scallion, rice syrup, soy sauce, gochugaru, sesame oil, and ½ tsp. salt in a medium bowl until well combined.
Step 2
Cut eggplants crosswise at 3"–4" intervals, then slice pieces ½" wide by ¼" thick.
Step 3
Put eggplant strips in a large bowl and add 1 Tbsp. salt. Toss well by hand until all eggplant is salted. Let sit, tossing every 5 minutes, for 20 minutes.
Step 4
Drain eggplant; discard liquid. Take up handfuls of eggplant and squeeze tightly to remove excess liquid, then return to large bowl. Add marinade to bowl with eggplant and mix together well. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
Step 5
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high and swirl to coat pan evenly. Add marinated eggplant and spread evenly in skillet. Leave to sear for a few minutes, until bottom is lightly colored. Turn with a spatula or tongs and cook until other side is lightly browned, 2–3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, pressing eggplant into pan and turning from time to time, until eggplant is cooked through and glazed and any excess marinade has evaporated, 5–6 minutes.
Step 6
Transfer eggplant to a plate. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve hot or cold.
Step 7
Do Ahead: Eggplant can be made 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container and chill.
Leave a Review
Reviews (41)
Back to Topan excellent vegan bulgogi. People who don't like eggplant eat it and don't believe it is eggplant. I've made it several times and I highly recommend finding either asian eggplants (thai/indian/chinese/korean) or making sure your eggplants are not overripe and full of seeds. Definitely salt the eggplant and squeeze it out- this helps absorb the marinade and makes for a better texture when frying. The cookbook version of this recipe suggests slicing the eggplants into thirds and then slicing each third into 1/4" pieces so they are flat and more suited to cooking on a grill instead of cutting into wedges. Both cuts work but the wider strips caramelize more evenly in a flat skillet or grill pan while the wedges are easier to toss in a stir fry pan or wok
Anonymous
12/9/2023
Ok dish, the aubergine didn’t need the salt. Added crispy tofu that had also been marinated. Quite an intense dish that needed a few other elements to round out, a bit of acidity would have balanced it out.
Anonymous
Sydney, Australia
12/16/2021
This was delicious. Even my vegetable hating partner liked it.
cheriee
Canada
9/19/2021
I grow Japanese eggplants in Earth boxes. I have an abundance of eggplants and am always looking for new recipes. First of all I recommend to only use Korean, Chinese or Japanese eggplants. They are long and thin. They have a much more delicate flavor. Secondly soak your eggplant in water but DO NOT SALT. My daughter-in-law is Japanese. No one salts eggplant in Japan. When you soak them in water you will notice that the water turns brown. I have used this method for years. My dishes never have a bitter taste. Thirdly I love this marinade. It is has that lovely hot and sweet taste. Take the time to find gochugaru. It makes the dish.
M. Lauren
Orland Park, IL
9/11/2021
Made this last night using 3 different types of eggplants I grew in my garden. I made a few revisions to the recipe: I used less salt, 2 teaspoons total, and let the eggplant sit for 30 minutes. I then rinsed it quickly in water and squeezed it out small handfuls at a time. Tot he marinade I added more soy sauce and sesame oil, reduced sugar to 1 TBSP, and added some crushed red pepper flakes as I did not have gochugaru. It came out delicious! I served it with "OUR FAVORITE KOREAN CHICKEN RECIPE" from sliceofjess.com and plain jasmine rice, with cilantro, slices of lime for moisture and citrus kick. My husband loved it as well! Will use these recipes again asap. PS: Leftovers next day are even better as the flavors have time to meld together over night :)
EV
NY
9/11/2021
Made for dinner, doubled the sauce and added tofu. Cooked for way longer to make sure the eggplant was soft and tofu was crispy. Fantastic!!
GBH
Sag Harbor
4/25/2021
damn white ppl really calling recipes flavorless and fishy when these are key korean ingredients. get over yourself lol. i made as is & it's perfect.
Anonymous
4/4/2021