This Eggplant Stir-fry with Chicken is in the Cantonese style—the flavor of the eggplant shines through with aromatic garlic, scallions, ginger, and juicy chicken.It’s a delicious one-pan meal and my new favorite way to enjoy Chinese eggplant.  Do I Need to Use Chinese Eggplant?  Chinese eggplants have fewer seeds than the average globe variety you see in grocery stores.They also have thinner skins and are generally more tender and faster cooking.

During the summer, they’re plentiful.So now is a great time to enjoy them.Japanese eggplants are similar in that they are long and thin, with fewer seeds.

That said, they tend to be a bit denser than Chinese eggplants, with darker skin.As a result, they can take a bit longer to cook.You can still use them in this recipe! We also have a guide on how to grow Chinese eggplant at home for those with garden space and a green thumb.  All About the Basics  What I realized about this recipe is that it’s quite simple, because it involves just a few techniques (like velveting the chicken) and the Chinese essential pantry ingredients we reach for every day.  The result tastes delightfully close to a restaurant-style Chicken with Eggplant Stir Fry.

There is one notable difference, which is that almost all Chinese restaurants out there will deep-fry eggplant.  Why? The result is tender eggplant that remains a vibrant purple.Plus, restaurants need shortcuts to put food on tables quickly.It’s

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