Sesame Chicken and Eggplant Recipe

By
Yvonne Ruperti
A photo of Yvonne Ruperti, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Yvonne Ruperti
Yvonne Ruperti is a food writer, recipe developer, former bakery owner, and cookbook author. She is also an adjust professor of baking at the Culinary Institute of America in Singapore.
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Updated Apr. 09, 2019
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. Yvonne Ruperti

Notes: Take care when removing eggplant from microwave, as hot steam escapes. Don't let the eggplant brown while in microwave.

Recipe Details

Sesame Chicken and Eggplant Recipe

Active 45 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 4 tablespoons water

  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided

  • 4 teaspoons packed light brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

  • 5 medium cloves garlic, divided (1 minced, 4 sliced thin)

  • 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, minced

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

  • 1 1/2 pounds eggplant, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 Thai chile, seeded and minced

  • 1 bunch scallions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1-inch lengths

  • 2 tablespoons lightly toasted sesame seeds

  • Rice, for serving

Directions

  1. In small bowl, stir cornstarch into water; set aside. In large bowl, whisk soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, minced garlic, and ginger. Add chicken and toss to coat. Set aside while you prepare eggplant.

  2. Place eggplant in colander and toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Working in two batches, spread half of the eggplant into single layer onto microwave safe plate. Microwave on high power until eggplant has shriveled to about 1/2 its size, 8 to 15 minutes. Transfer cooked eggplant to colander to drain while second batch is microwaving.

  3. In 12-inch skillet (or wok), heat vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add eggplant and cook until tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and chili, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  4. Move eggplant over to side of pan. Add remaining tablespoon sesame oil to pan and increase heat to medium high. Add chicken with marinade to center of the pan and cook, stirring, until chicken is just cooked through, about 4 minutes.

  5. Stir in cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring everything together, until mixture is bubbling and thickened. Stir in scallions and sesame seeds. Season to taste with salt and serve with rice.

Special equipment

microwave, 12-inch skillet or wok

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
629 Calories
24g Fat
61g Carbs
43g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 629
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 31%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 96mg 32%
Sodium 1389mg 60%
Total Carbohydrate 61g 22%
Dietary Fiber 6g 23%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 43g
Vitamin C 10mg 48%
Calcium 119mg 9%
Iron 4mg 25%
Potassium 746mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)