Sweet and Sour Eggplant

In Japan, eggplant has two main seasons—summer and autumn. There's something particularly magical about Japanese autumn eggplant that makes it worth waiting for. While summer brings the first harvest, these late-season beauties develop an incredible sweetness and luxuriously tender flesh that transforms any dish they grace. 

To bring out the best in the eggplant, I slice it up into bite-sized pieces; this allows you to shallow-fry it with just a fraction of the oil that traditional methods require. A light coating of starch does double duty here - it creates a delicate crust that keeps the eggplant from falling apart while also thickening our sweet and sour sauce into a glossy glaze that clings to each piece. 

Speaking of sweet and sour, this is a Japanese-Chinese style sweet and sour that balances the tangy vinegar with savory soy sauce and a teriyaki-like sweetness that brings the creamy eggplant to life. 

This dish makes a perfect tangy-sweet side for meat or fish, but it's also satisfying enough to be enjoyed on its own. Just layer the slices over a bed of steamed rice and let the glaze percolate into the rice for a satisfying plant-based main.

One quick note on eggplant selection: look for ones that feel heavy for their size and have tight, glossy skin. If you can't find Japanese eggplant, Chinese or even small Italian ones will work - just adjust your cooking time accordingly for the size difference.