A Tested Recipe
Kabayaki Eggplant.
Eggplant cooked in kabayaki sauce — sweet, savory, and sticky. The texture is surprisingly close to eel. A Chinese home-cooking hack for when you want eel rice without the eel (or the price tag).
By jackTao · Dec 8, 2025
Hands in the dough?
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The Mise en Place
Ingredients
Adjust portions
Main Ingredient
- 1 long eggplant (Choose the type that is thinner at the top and thicker at the bottom with thick flesh; avoid the very thin variety or round eggplants)
Kabayaki Sauce (Mix these together)
- 20 ml honey (for gloss and thickening)
- 15 ml sugar (for gloss and thickening)
- 40 ml light soy sauce (for savory/salty flavor)
- 10 ml dark soy sauce (for rich color)
- 20 ml cooking wine (to remove raw vegetable odors)
- 100 ml water
Garnish
- 1 handful chopped scallions/green onions
The Method
Instructions
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 4
- Step 5
Pre-process
- Peel the eggplant and cut it horizontally into two segments.
- Place them in a steamer and steam on high heat for until soft.
- 01
Pre-process
- Peel the eggplant and cut it horizontally into two segments.
- Place them in a steamer and steam on high heat for until soft.
- 02
Knife Work
- Take the steamed eggplant and slice it lengthwise down the middle (be careful not to cut all the way through).
- Open it up flat like a book.
- Lightly score the flesh with a knife (cross-hatch pattern) to help it absorb the sauce.
- 03
Pan-Fry
- Heat oil in a pan (use less oil for non-stick, slightly more for cast iron/steel pans).
- Place the eggplant in flat and fry until both sides are golden brown.
- 04
Braise
- Pour in most of the mixed Kabayaki sauce (it should cover about half the height of the eggplant).
- Simmer on medium-low heat.
- Flip the eggplant halfway through so both sides absorb the juices.
- 05
Glaze & Finish
- When the sauce has reduced and thickened, if you feel it's not thick enough, you can add a little cornstarch slurry (water + cornstarch).
- Pour the remaining sauce over the eggplant, let it glaze over high heat for a moment.
- Sprinkle some chopped scallions (green onions) after plating and serve.
Cook's Notes
Notes
This recipe serves 1-2 people. Scale the ingredients proportionally for more servings.
Note Nº 01
Eggplant is the 'sponge' of the vegetable world—it absorbs flavors perfectly and, when cooked right, tastes even better than meat!
Note Nº 02
Pro-tip: Make sure to cook extra rice, because this dish is a total 'rice thief' (you won't be able to stop eating)!
Note Nº 03
Although named 'Kabayaki' (a Japanese term usually for grilled eel), this is a Chinese home-style interpretation. It uses braising instead of grilling, making it much easier for home cooks.
Note Nº 04
The contrast of the emerald green scallions against the dark red sauce looks amazing, and the fresh onion flavor helps cut through the richness.
Note Nº 05
Choosing Eggplants: If you are making stir-fries like Fish-Fragrant Eggplant or Garlic Eggplant, use the thin skinned variety (Zhejiang eggplant). However, for this specific dish, to mimic the meaty texture of eel, the common thick-fleshed long eggplant is the best choice!
Note Nº 06
Keep an eye on the heat while cooking to prevent burning.
Note Nº 07
For non-stick pans, use less oil; for cast iron/steel pans, use slightly more oil.
Note Nº 08
If the sauce is not thick enough at the end, you can add a cornstarch slurry (mix cornstarch with water) to help thicken it.
Note Nº 09
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