Smashed Eggplant with Sesame Sauce has a rich sesame paste flavor with hints of vinegar and garlic, and a soft, tender texture.
Mashed eggplant is one of the most common cold appetizers in old Beijing restaurants—cool and refreshing, especially on a hot summer day when a big spoonful of it truly cools you down to the core!
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
Round eggplant 500 g (about 1 lb)
Usually made with large round eggplants, but if unavailable, long eggplants work as well.
Seasonings
Sesame paste 25 g (about 3 tablespoons)
15 g (about 1 tablespoon) vinegar
3 g (about 1 teaspoon) sugar
1 g salt
Garlic and cilantro, to taste
Instructions
Instructions
Preparation
Step 1: Peel the eggplant and cut into large slices about 2 cm (3/4 inch) thick. Steam in a steamer basket for 10-15 minutes until completely tender (Image 2). In a small bowl, whisk the sesame paste with a little water until smooth and set aside (Image 3).
*After steaming, eggplant releases a lot of water; if you mix it directly, the texture will be too watery. The usual method is to squeeze out the excess moisture using a clean piece of cheesecloth or a kitchen towel.
*If the sesame paste is already thin, there's no need to thin it with water.
Steam the eggplants until tender.
Step 2: Once the steamed eggplant has cooled, gently squeeze out excess water, then mash it with a spoon. Stir in the prepared sesame paste and a little sugar until well combined (Image 4), then add vinegar and mix again (Image 5). Finally, fold in the minced garlic, cilantro, and salt, and toss everything together until evenly mixed (Image 6).
*The eggplant must be completely cooled before mixing, otherwise the vinegar's flavor will change, and the cilantro and garlic will lose their aroma when exposed to heat.
*Best made ahead of time and chilled in the refrigerator for even better flavor.
