Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Scallion Oil

Thick rounds of eggplant go on a hot grill until they are soft and lightly charred, then get dressed with nuoc mam cham and a spoonful of hot oil poured over sliced scallions. The eggplant turns silky, the sauce is sweet, sour and salty at once, and the scallion oil sits on top. About 30 minutes, start to finish.

Why does this grilled eggplant work?

Two reasons. It is simple, with a handful of ingredients and a grill. And the pairing does the heavy lifting: grilled eggplant is thick and velvety and slightly smoky, and the scallion oil gives it a sharp, herbaceous edge that stops the whole thing being one note. The nuoc mam cham underneath balances sweet, sour and salty, which is how a lot of Vietnamese food is built.

Recipe tips:

• If you don’t have a barbecue or grill plate, you may make this dish under the oven grill. Arrange the slices on a baking tray and grill them on high for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until cooked and gently browned.
• If you want a softer texture, steam the eggplant slices before grilling them. Steam the slices for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender, in a steamer basket over boiling water. Then brush with the sauce mixture and grill according to the recipe directions.
• Do not skimp on the oil on the eggplant itself. Eggplant is like a sponge, and a dry slice on a hot grill will scorch on the outside while staying squeaky in the middle.

Variations:

• If you want to up the protein in this recipe, consider topping the grilled eggplant with grilled tofu, tempeh, or your favourite protein.
• You may also top the grilled eggplant with chopped peanuts or sesame seeds for an additional crunch.
• If you like spicy meals, you may up the ante by adding more chopped chilli to the sauce before coating the eggplant.

Substitutions:

• If you don’t have vegan fish sauce on hand, you may use soy sauce or tamari instead. You may add a little more sweetness and depth of flavour by tossing in some maple syrup.
• If you don’t like eggplant, you may substitute other veggies such as zucchini, summer squash, or capsicum.
• If you’re allergic to scallions or don’t have any on hand, leave them out of the dish or replace them with another type of green onion or herb, such as chives or coriander.

What is nuoc mam cham?

It is the dipping sauce that turns up on half the Vietnamese table, made by balancing fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, vinegar, garlic and chilli until no single one of them wins. Here it is made with vegan fish sauce instead. Mix it and taste it before you use it, because limes vary and so does the salt level of the sauce you have bought. It should make you want another mouthful straight away.

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How to Serve this Recipe:

This Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Scallion Oil recipe is ideal for presenting as a main course for lunch or supper. It goes great with several side dishes, including steamed rice, quinoa, and noodles. It’s also good as a side dish with grilled tofu. If you’re throwing a party, chop the eggplant into smaller pieces and offer it as a starter or small nibble.

Try our Other Recipes:

In addition to using this vegan fish sauce in this recipe for Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Scallion Oil, it would be wonderful in various other foods. Some suggestions include the following:

• Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Recipe (Copycat)
• Vegan Tofu “SPAM” Musubi Recipe
• How to Make Tofu Puffs

Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Scallion Oil Recipe:

Video Recipe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMntUQZkQvA

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants
• 2 tablespoons vegan fish sauce (or soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp Salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegan fish sauce
• 1/3 lime juice
• sesame seeds or peanuts
• 2 chilli peppers
• 1 tbsp of vinegar
• 2 tbsps of sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high.
2. Cut the eggplants into 1/2-inch (about 1.5 cm) rounds and put them in a large mixing bowl.
3. Grill the eggplant slices on the hot grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until tender and gently browned.
4. Transfer the eggplant to a serving platter once it has finished grilling.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine vegan fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, lime juice, chopped garlic, and chilli to make the nuoc mam cham (Vietnamese fish sauce mix). Mix well until the sugar dissolves.
6. Heat the oil for about a minute, until it shimmers. We will drizzle this oil over the scallions.
7. In another bowl, add the scallions and pour the hot oil we just heated over them.
8. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with the sauce mixture and season with salt.
9. Drizzle with the remaining sauce mixture and the scallion oil, scatter over sesame seeds or peanuts, and serve immediately.

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Frequently asked questions

Is vegan fish sauce actually vegan?

Products sold as vegan fish sauce are usually built on pineapple, seaweed, mushroom or fermented soy, and the good ones say vegan on the front. Formulations differ by brand and by country, though, so read the ingredients rather than trusting the name. Some bottles labelled vegetarian still carry anchovy extract or shrimp. Soy sauce or tamari with a squeeze of lime is a safe fallback.

Do you need to salt the eggplant first?

Not for this recipe. Salting was traditionally done to draw out bitterness, and modern eggplant is bred to be far less bitter than it used to be. What salting does still help with is moisture, so if your eggplant is very large or looks old and seedy, sprinkle the rounds with salt, leave them 20 minutes, then pat them dry before oiling.

Can you make it ahead?

The sauce can be mixed a day ahead and kept in the fridge, and it improves as the garlic and chilli settle in. The scallion oil is best made fresh, since the point of it is hot oil hitting raw scallions. Grill the eggplant just before serving. It is fine at room temperature, but it goes limp and watery in the fridge.

How do you know when the eggplant is done?

Go by feel rather than by the clock. A finished slice gives easily when you press the middle with tongs and looks translucent right through, with proper char marks on both sides. Undercooked eggplant is pale, squeaky and slightly bitter, and no amount of sauce fixes it, so give it another minute or two if you are unsure.

Conclusion

If you’re after a savoury and satisfying way to eat eggplant, this Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Scallion Oil dish is worth a go. The combination of grilled eggplant and scallion oil is very good, and the vegan fish sauce adds another layer of savoury flavour to the meal. This recipe will please your family and friends, whether served as a main meal or a side.