Soft Steamed Eggplant Salad
How to Make Soft Steamed Eggplant Salad: The Perfect Steaming Time
As summer fades and the weather cools, I find myself craving a soft, steamed eggplant salad! Perhaps it’s the lingering sadness of summer’s end? My younger daughter has also been asking for this dish lately. Eggplant is a wonderful, low-calorie vegetable that’s good for your health, but it’s also one of those vegetables that people tend to either love or hate. I used to be a picky eater myself and didn’t enjoy eggplant much when I was young. Thankfully, my two daughters are not picky eaters and enjoy a variety of foods, including this eggplant salad! They have developed quite a taste for traditional dishes, like a grandma’s palate! It’s a side dish they often ask for. Since my youngest specifically requested this, I must make it for her with care! Let’s get started on making this delicious steamed eggplant salad!
Ingredients
- 3 eggplants
Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce for soup
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp plum extract (or syrup)
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp chopped green onion
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce for soup
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp plum extract (or syrup)
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp chopped green onion
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash the eggplants thoroughly under running water and trim off the stem and the very ends. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise, and then cut them again crosswise into bite-sized pieces. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the prepared eggplant and cover with a lid to steam until tender.
Step 2
The key to making a great steamed eggplant salad is the steaming time! If you steam it for too short a time, the inside might not be cooked through and will be tough. Conversely, if you steam it for too long, it will become mushy and lose its texture. Based on my experience, steaming the eggplant for about 5 minutes is perfect, as it cooks the inside tender and moist.
Step 3
After the golden steaming time of 5 minutes, remove the lid and let the freshly steamed eggplant cool down for a bit. Be careful not to burn your hands when handling the hot eggplant.
Step 4
Once the eggplant has cooled slightly, place it in a mixing bowl. Then, gently tear the cooled eggplant into bite-sized pieces with your hands. Tearing by hand, rather than using utensils, helps preserve the delicate texture of the eggplant.
Step 5
Eggplant has a high water content, so you can lightly squeeze out some of the moisture or even skip this step entirely. Squeezing too hard can diminish the eggplant’s flavor, so I recommend a very gentle squeeze or no squeezing at all.
Step 6
Now it’s time to add the seasoning for your delicious eggplant salad. To the bowl of eggplant, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce for soup, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of plum extract, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, and 1 tablespoon of chopped green onion.
Step 7
Gently toss the ingredients together with your hands, being careful not to mash the eggplant, until the seasoning is evenly distributed. And just like that, your soft and delicious steamed eggplant salad is ready! It makes a wonderful side dish for rice.
