This quick and easy eggplant dish is one of my classic recipes that uses very few ingredients to pack in the flavor. Although it's called grilled eggplant with scallion oil, I often pop my eggplants in a ripping hot oven for a quick dish. The nướng in cà tím nướng mỡ hành can mean to grill or to bake, so feel free to use either method!
Pin Grilled Eggplant With Scallion Oil (Cà Tím Nướng Mỡ Hành) To Try Later!
I love making this dish in the summer, when Japanese or Chinese eggplants are abundant at the farmer's market. These long, thin eggplant varieties are extremely creamy once cooked and are the best kind of eggplant for this dish. With so few ingredients, you want to buy the best produce possible to really appreciate all of the simple flavors of the dish.
The eggplant is complemented with a super simple scallion oil and a salty, spicy fish sauce dressing. Wilting the scallions makes a super fragrant oil, which pairs extremely well with the savory, salty spicy fish sauce.
🍆 Ingredients
You will need:
- 3 Japanese or Chinese Eggplants
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped (about ½ cup or 75g)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 clove garlic. minced
- 1-3 Birds Eye Thai Chiles, minced (optional)
🔪 Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then, wash and dry the eggplants and place them whole on a sheet pan. Poke a few holes in the eggplants with a fork or toothpick to prevent them from exploding in the oven When the oven is ready, roast them for about 25-30 minutes, until the skins turn brown and the eggplant is soft all the way through.
Alternatively, you can pop the eggplants on a hot grill for 15-20 minutes. Grilling the eggplants will impart a tasty, charred flavor, especially if you use charcoal.
While the eggplants are cooking, heat oil in a small pan on medium heat and sweat the scallions in the oil. This will only take a minute or two. You want the scallions to wilt a little but still retain their bright green color.
Mix the fish sauce dressing while the eggplants are still in the oven. Mix the fish sauce, garlic and Thai chiles in a small bowl and set aside.
When the eggplants are ready, let them cool before peeling the skin off completely. Cut the eggplants into 1-2 inch segments. Arrange the eggplants on a plate, top them with scallion oil, and drizzle the fish sauce dressing over everything. Serve cold or at room temperature, with hot rice.
💭 Tips and substitutions
If you can't find the long, skinny Japanese or Chinese eggplants, you can use the regular globe eggplants you find at the grocery store. However, these eggplants are a bit firmer and less creamy than the Japanese variety. I'd recommend cutting them into thin cubes or rectangles before grilling or baking.
For a completely vegetarian dish, use vegan fish sauce or soy sauce.
🍚 Serving suggestions
For a light meal, this dish tastes great on its own with hot rice. However, it makes a great dish as part of a classic Vietnamese family meal, which usually consists of rice (cơm), a vegetable dish (rau), a main protein, (món mặn), and a soup (canh).
For example, a Vietnamese family meal using recipes from this blog might include:
- Rice
- Rau: Grilled Eggplant With Scallion Oil (Cà Tím Nướng Mỡ Hành)
- Món Mặn: Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng)
- Canh: Crock Pot Pork Spare Rib Soup With Potatoes and Carrots (Canh Sườn Khoai Tây Cà Rốt)
By mixing and matching recipes, you can have endless varieties of family meals every week!
🥡 How to store or make in advance
You can grill the eggplant a day in advance and store in the fridge before assembling if you want, but this dish comes together so quickly it might not be necessary. The scallion oil will last in the fridge for a few weeks. Make a big batch and add it to all your dishes for extra fragrant flavor.
This dish is best eaten day of once it is assembled with the dressing and scallions, but if you have leftovers, they will last about a week in the fridge.
👪 Serving size
Three large eggplants should feed a family of four if paired with other dishes. If you're eating this on it's own, you'll get about two servings.
Grilled Eggplant With Scallion Oil (Cà Tím Nướng Mỡ Hành)
Ingredients
- 3 Japanese or Chinese eggplants
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped about ½ cup or 75g
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1-3 Birds Eye/Thai chiles, minced optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Wash and dry the eggplants and place them whole on a sheet pan. Poke a few holes in the eggplants with a fork or toothpick to prevent them from exploding in the oven.
- When the oven is ready, roast them for about 25-30 minutes, until the skins turn brown and the eggplant is soft all the way through.
- Alternatively, you can pop the eggplants on a hot grill for 15-20 minutes.
- While the eggplants are cooking, heat oil in a small pan on medium heat and sweat the scallions in the oil.
- Mix the fish sauce, garlic and Thai chiles in a small bowl and set aside.
- When the eggplants are ready, let them cool before peeling the skin off completely.
- Cut the eggplants into 1-2 inch segments. Arrange the eggplants on a plate, top them with scallion oil, and drizzle the fish sauce dressing over everything.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Please tag @BunBoBaeBlog on Instagram or leave a rating or comment on the blog!
Don't miss a single recipe! Sign up with your email below for recipes in your inbox.
Loved this recipe? You might also like:
Leave a Reply