Easy Chili Garlic Eggplant on a bed of fluffy rice. Full of punchy flavors it's garlicky, spicy, sweet, and savory. I love this with some steamed broccoli or stir-fried veggies. Such a delicious dinner!
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"Sooooo Good! I have a lot of eggplant recipes and this one goes right to the top of the list!" - Jules ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Chili Garlic Eggplant with Rice! You'll love these golden little nuggets of baked eggplant drizzled (or drenched if you're me) in very garlicky, spicy, chili sauce, all piled on top of a mountain of fluffy, steamy rice. It's just too good!
I like to top my bowl with a scattering of toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onions, or some crunchy roasted peanuts and quick pickled cucumber. Some steamed broccoli or stir-fried veggies on the side are good too.
Feel free to switch out the plain rice for my coconut basmati rice or coconut lime rice. Both would work well with the spicy sauce and eggplant.
Mel x
Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance:
And some notes about the key ingredients:
- Eggplant - Aubergine for those across the pond. I recommend using the common dark purple/black globe, or classic eggplant in this recipe although Italian, white, or graffiti eggplants also work well.
- Cornstarch - This along with some salt and pepper coats the eggplant pieces absorbing excess moisture and creating a thin batter-like exterior. We also use some cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
- Olive oil - Sorry to those of you who are oil-free but this eggplant really needs the olive oil to get a great texture and taste really good. I like to drizzle generously but you could probably get away with using an olive oil spray if you want to use less.
- Toasted sesame oil - For delicious toasty nutty flavor in the sauce. If you don't have any you can omit it. It will still be delicious.
- Soy sauce - If you are gluten-free use gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari . If you want to cut back on sodium use a low-sodium variety.
- Brown sugar - I like to use dark brown sugar for max flavor, but light will work too, as will coconut sugar.
- Chili flakes - Adjust the amount to suit your spice/heat preferences. With the max amount, this is pretty spicy. If you're not really into heat the sauce is still good if you omit the chili completely.
A Visual Walkthrough of the Recipe
Can't wait to make Sticky Chili Garlic Eggplant With Rice? Here's a quick visual walkthrough of the process. For a more detailed view see my recipe video and the full printable recipe.
1 - Cube the eggplant then toss in seasoned cornstarch.
2 - Pour onto a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat before baking until golden.
3 - Make the quick and easy sauce. All you've got to do is saute the garlic, add everything else to the pan and stir over the heat until it thickens.
4 - Cook the rice.
5 - Serve the crispy eggplant over the rice and drizzle with sauce.
Recipe
Chili Garlic Eggplant With Rice
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
For the eggplant
- 2 medium eggplants
- ½ cup (60 grams) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- a good drizzle olive oil
For the rice
- 2 cups (400 grams) long grain white rice
- 4 cups (960 ml) water
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 6 cloves garlic , minced
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ cup (120 ml) soy sauce
- ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) rice vinegar
- ¼ to ¾ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Bake the eggplant. Cut the eggplants into chunky bite-sized cubes (about ¾ inch).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Add the eggplant to the bowl and toss well in the flour mixture to coat. I find it easiest to use clean hands. The natural moisture on the eggplant is enough to make the cornstarch stick.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Scatter the eggplant pieces onto the baking tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil then toss with your hands to coat, before spreading out so there's a bit of space between each piece.
- Bake for 15 minutes, turn each piece and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden.
- Cook the rice. As soon as the eggplant goes into the oven prepare the rice. Rinse in a sieve, then add to a pan with the water and salt. Bring to a boil. Once it’s bubbling all over the surface turn the heat to low and put the lid on. Leave for 14 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this time. After 14 minutes turn off the heat and leave with the lid on for a further 10 minutes or until you're ready to serve. Fluff with a fork just before serving.
- Make the sauce. While the eggplant is baking and the rice is cooking, prepare the sauce. Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sesame oil then the minced garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Don’t let it color.
- Add the cornstarch, give it a quick stir, then gradually add the soy sauce stirring as you go to work out any lumps. Then add the brown sugar, rice vinegar, and red chili pepper flakes. Add an appropriate amount of chili for your particular spice tolerance. If you use the full ¾ teaspoon it will be very hot and spicy. Omit the chili if you don't like any heat at all. Keep stirring for about 4 to 5 minutes until thickened then turn off the heat. It should easily coat the back of a spoon. Turn it back on to reheat a few minutes before serving.
- Serve. When the rice and eggplant are ready and the sauce is hot, spoon rice into deep bowls, top with piles of crispy eggplant, then drizzle over the sauce.
NOTES
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NUTRITION
Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend it. I love my air fryer and really wanted it to work but it turns out WAY better in an oven.
Lorraine says
Full of Flavour! As I only had one Japanese eggplant I subbed broccoli pieces to make up the difference and it was fantastic. The two veg go really well together. The sauce is delicious and would be good alone on rice as well.
Lorraine says
Why do you say never reheat rice more than once? Thank you.
Melanie McDonald says
Rice should always be cooled very quickly and refrigerated ASAP and should never never be reheated more than once for food safety reasons. It can give you severe food poisoning. In fact it's one of the most common foods that cause food poisoning.
Yoli says
I'm a fan of eggplant but I've never prepared it like this. The recipe was easy and the result was amazing. I'm definitely planning on making this dish again and again!
KELLIE AMBURN says
This is my new favorite recipe! The subtle sweet tanginess in the sauce was to die for! Thank you so much!
Mandy says
Deeeeelicious! Yum yum yum mmmm
My second time making this. Used regular eggplants when my preference is for Japanese eggplants. Super delicious! I added a bit of freshly -grated ginger too! Thanks Mel!!!
Betty Jutton says
Delicious! My family loved it.
Naomi says
I've just made this. really delicious. I'd never used corn flour to coat and then fry (I was lazy so fried up in a wok!!) . It was so nice. I'll never go back to coating with flour. I'd reduce the sugar next time though but the sauce is really yummy. It was all very easy. I ate with noodles. Next time I'll try rice but noodles were good
Thankyou for sharing 😊🥰
Jules says
Sooooo Good! I have a lot of Eggplant recipes and this one goes right to the Top of the list!
It does go great with noodles or rice.
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed it, Jules!
Kelly says
We really enjoyed this eggplant! I followed the recipe as written. Thank you :)
Melanie McDonald says
Glad to hear that, Kelly!
Mandy says
5 stars again! Yum yum!
Mandy says
I certainly DID make this recipe ! Yum yum yum ( sigh.....as USUAL!) Haha! I figured since my oven would be on I might as well make crispy tofu to go wirh it. And I didn't have white rice in the house but I had fettuccine noodles and turned this into a noodles dish as opposed to ricey!!! Another absolute hit. Thanks Mel!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, Mandy. I bet it was delish with noodles!
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
jenagain says
UGH that sodium count. Suggest coconut aminos for umami and less sodium.
Melanie McDonald says
I like soy sauce but feel free to adjust the recipe how you see fit, or don't make it at all. Please don't rate my recipes if you haven't even tried them though. Ratings are there for people who have made them and can judge the taste/results. Giving this one a poor rating because you don't personally like the nutritional info is really unfair. You might not realize but it affects how well the recipe does in search results and at the end of the day my income.
As for the sodium levels, they are still well below the recommended max daily amount of 2300mg.