Vegan Japanese Eggplant with Maesil Garlic Chive Marinade
A light and savory vegan side dish made with Japanese eggplant gently pan-seared in sesame oil and soaked in a chive-ginger soy marinade sweetened with maesil syrup (Korean plum syrup). Delicious warm or chilled — a simple, seasonal recipe perfect for summer.
Equipment
- Skillet or frying pan
- Knife and cutting board
- small bowl (for mixing sauce)
- lid (for steaming)
Ingredients
Eggplant
- 1 Japanese eggplant about 80g
- ½–1 teaspoon toasted (dark) sesame oil adjust to taste
Garlic Chive Marinade
- 1/10 bunch garlic chives about 10g
- 2 g ginger finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Korean plum extract (Mae-sil-cheong)
- ½-⅔ tablespoon soy sauce adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon Korean chili flakes optional
Instructions
Prep the ingredients:
- Trim the stem from the eggplant and slice it lengthwise into even planks, about 5–7 mm thick (or to your preferred thickness).
- Mince the ginger finely, and chop the garlic chives.
Make the marinade:
- In a small bowl, mix the chives, ginger, maesil syrup, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes.Tip: Preparing the marinade ahead allows the flavors to blend gently.
Pan-sear the eggplant:
- Heat sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Sear both sides of the eggplant until lightly browned and tender.
Marinate and steam:
- Turn off the heat and immediately pour the marinade over the hot eggplant.
- Cover with a lid and let sit for a few minutes until the chives wilt slightly.
- Serve warm or chilled.
Notes
- No maesil syrup? Substitute with a mix of water + sugar + apple cider vinegar (½ tablespoon : 1½ teaspoon : ½ tsp).
- Not into spicy? Feel free to skip the chili flakes. The flavor will stay mellow and fragrant.
- Storage: Keeps well in the fridge for 2–3 days. Even better after resting overnight.
- To serve: Delicious over rice or cold noodles. Also great chopped and mixed into warm rice for a quick donburi-style bowl.