Bulgogi Eggplant Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Patti

The local grocery store was out of eggplant, so I used zucchini instead and it was still delicious!

Eric

Made this for dinner tonight. Delicious! Maybe next time I would reduce the sugar a bit, but that's just my taste.

Lindsey Reiser

Pam

This was easy and delicious. I especially like how simple the sauce was to throw together. I did add a little bit of red chili flakes to give it a tiny bit of zing. I boiled some bok choy and put some of the sauce on that too. Light and flavorful!!

Alice

If doing stovetop: pour the sauce into the pan once you get some nice color on the eggplant and let it cook down and thicken. Flavor comes out much better.

Eric W

The sauce is quite inspired and I can see using it on all sorts of grilled veggies. I served it alongside grilled chicken thighs marinated in a gochujong sauce. You’ll need to experiment with your grill, eggplant maturity and slice thickness to figure out how long to cook them to your taste.

JuanZ

This was fantastic! The sauce seemed too simple at first and I was tempted to add to it, but I restrained myself and made it as written, and was so happy I did. As I continue to learn over and over, simple is best in a lot of cooking. Ate with white rice cooked in coconut milk and “Cold Tofu salad with tomatoes and peaches” (also from NYT cooking) for a wonderful summer dinner.

Marianne Ireland

I did this on the George Foreman, turned out great

Ashley

I charred the eggplant in an oiled cast iron pan (don’t have a grill) and it worked great! I didn’t have maple syrup so I used about 0.5tbsp of molasses instead and I added ginger powder. Was great!

simon

Delicious. I doubled the proportions. Used regular eggplants. It is a winner!

katie

Just had a big eggplant but it still worked. Easy and tasty. Will make again.

RMS

Just harvesting my Japanese eggplant - now I know what to do with it!

Sasha

So good and easy, will definitely make again! I made this with eggplant as well as firm tofu. Skipped the sugar in the sauce and used fresh crushed garlic because I didn't have garlic powder. Pressed and marinated the tofu in the sauce before cooking, followed the recipe and added eggplant to sauce after cooking. Cooked on a griddle on the stove because we don't have a grill.

J Young

Step 4 says: Add the grilled eggplant to the bowl with the sauce and gently toss, making sure each slice is thinly coated.I think the sauce is meant to be a no-cook glaze. Just follow the recipe man.

Es

Wonderful side dish. Really tasted like bulgogi (based on my limited exposure to Korean food at Seoulville Restaurant in Somerville NJ). Used a half dozen fairy-tale eggplants, salted and then rinsed and dried prior to oiling). For sauce I used Birch syrup (souvenir from Vancouver and similar to maple) and omitted the sugar as so many of you suggested. Delicious. Will do this as long as eggplant is in season.

Dana Dee

This was excellent and fairly easy. I added cilantro to the scallions and substituted Mike's Hot Honey for the sugar.

Sona

I cooked this over stovetop as I don’t have a grill and sliced the eggplants really thin. As someone earlier had suggested ,I cooked the eggplants until slightly charred ,then poured the sauce over this ,allowing it to thicken . Serve with scallions over brown rice - delish !!

jrlw

Also add some garam masala

Marti_dc

Also great with air-fryer nekkid eggplant. I tossed with some veg oil and in they went. When they were done, I did the same to some butternut squash "sticks" and then drizzled the bulgogi sauce over them.There are brussels sprouts in the frying pan, but... nah, I'm sticking with the bacon, balsamic and a little maple syrup for those. Super easy and tasty sauce, NYTimes! Thanks!

hatertot

I made as per the recipe and it did turn out a little sweet. Next time I think I'll try subbing the maple syrup with a mix of rice syrup and maesil syrup which hopefully will help cut the sweetness while maintaining the glaze-like consistency. Love the eggplant texture, I made it with some beef bulgogi and they were equally tantalizing.

Carol

I picked up some Asian eggplant at the HMart the other day and thought, "what should I do with this"? I love beef bulgogi but don't eat much meat, so this was great.

Anne

I roasted the eggplant without oil for about 20 minutes at 400F. We did not miss the oil at all.Did not want to fry the scallions, so just garnished with chopped scallions. This was excellent.

Laura Di Battista, Toronto

It's January in Canada, so I did not want to fire up the BBQ. I cooked the eggplant in two cast iron pans and it came out great! I loved the simplicity of this recipe. It was just delicious. I served it with air fried chicken thighs and it was a hit. Will be making this over and over again.

es

Cheated. Used a prepared bulgogi sauce (it was open and in the refrigerator. Cut small eggplants in half, salted them, dried them well, grilled, and spooned the sauce over them. Very nice.

The Olson Fam

Agreed with other commentary. No sugar necessary at all.

bob ellis

Well, it has been a year since anyone else posted a comment. I added some asparagus to this recipe. And because I cooked the eggplant in a pot, I deglazed the pot with a little red wine, and then tossed the 'sauce' into the red wine, swirled it around a little, and then tossed the asparagus and eggplant with the result. And then I added one ghost pepper. Deletable!

Dungenessa

Excellent and easy. Added shish*to peppers to the mix.

msjvd

The process of this produced the best, fastest eggplant results I have ever had. I grew up with fried eggplant... dipped in crumbs and fried crispy. If I could, I might add tomato gravy, cheese and pasta, but most often, it was alone. And always so difficult it seemed to get it cooked to "tender." This was EASY, BABY!!! And I could move it from the grill to soak up some red sauce and eat with pasta... or toss it in the bulgogi! This cooking technique is WONDERFUL and VERSATILE!

Mare

Great with bulgogi tofu for a delicious & easy vegan meal!!!

Tish

I was skeptical about this recipe, and didn’t want to use up all of the eggplant from my garden, so I cut the recipe in half. Big mistake! This was amazing and will be my go to eggplant recipe from now on. I cut the sugar in half and it was still plenty sweet (it probably doesn’t need it at all).

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Bulgogi Eggplant Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to cooking eggplant? ›

A useful tip to prevent sogginess and greasiness is to salt sliced or diced eggplant and let it sit for an hour. This helps to draw out moisture. Next, rinse and drain any liquid from the sliced eggplant, then pat dry before cooking. This will further soften the eggplant preventing it from soaking up fat while cooking.

How do you cook eggplant without it getting mushy? ›

Depending on the recipe, you might want to slice and salt globe eggplant slices before cooking them in order to draw out some of the water and keep them from turning to mush. In On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee writes that because eggplants are filled with tiny air pockets, they function like sponges.

Do you have to prepare eggplant before cooking? ›

Many recipes call for eggplants to be salted and rinsed to draw out any bitter juices, but this shouldn't be necessary if they're fresh. If the seeds are too defined or feel hard, the eggplant may be old and should be salted.

Does eggplant need to be soaked before frying? ›

Typically eggplant behaves like a sponge, soaking up heroic amounts of oil when fried. The Terzo Piano chefs use this trick to prevent heavy aubergines: Before frying, soak the strips of eggplant in an ice water bath. They will absorb water and drop in temperature.

What happens if you don't salt eggplant before cooking? ›

Salting: Salting removes excess liquid and some of the bitterness. Today's eggplants are bred for mildness, though, so it's not as important as it used to be (if you are frying eggplant, salting will ensure a creamy texture and rich flavor). This method works for eggplant slices, cubes, or planks.

How do you get the most flavor out of eggplant? ›

Salting: One common method is salting the eggplant slices or cubes before cooking. This process helps draw out the bitter compounds and excess moisture. Here's how to do it:Slice or cube the eggplant as desired. Sprinkle salt over the eggplant pieces and let them sit for about 30 minutes.

Why is my eggplant still hard after cooking? ›

You mentioned that once they turned out tough and chewy: then they were not cooked fully through. Vegetables are not like meat, which turn rubbery when overcooked. They turn soft rather. Watch out for the opposite as well: Eggplants when cooked for a long time may turn mushy.

How long does it take to cook eggplant? ›

Depending on variety and size, and how they are cut, eggplants take 15 to 25 minutes to fully cook. Undercook them and you'll be left with a bitter-tasting veggie that has the texture of a cotton ball, says Norton. "Most recipes can accurately predict how much time it will take for eggplants to fully cook.

Is it okay to eat eggplant that is brown inside? ›

Answer. Eggplant flesh will have tan to brown colored spots around the seeds. If this is the color you are referring to, it is edible. If the flesh is more brown than white, the eggplant may be spoiling and should be discarded.

Why is my fried eggplant mushy? ›

Blame the Air Pockets for Eggplant's Sogginess

It's all thanks to the vegetable's cellular structure. Eggplant has soft, spongy flesh loaded with tiny air pockets, which are quick to absorb up hot oil or liquids.

Why is my fried eggplant bitter? ›

The white part of an eggplant, also known as the "flesh," can sometimes turn bitter when cooked due to the presence of a naturally occurring compound called solanine. Solanine is a glycoalkaloid that is found in many members of the nightshade family of plants, which includes eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers.

Should you soak eggplant in milk or salt water? ›

Soak it in milk.

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.

What do you soak eggplant in before cooking? ›

Brining (soaking in salted water) will do the same job but also make the flesh super creamy. To brine, dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in 1 cup of boiling water, stir in 1 litre of cold water, and drop in the sliced eggplant. Place a saucepan lid on top to keep it submerged, leave for 1 hour, then drain and pat dry.

Why do you soak eggplant in vinegar? ›

The secret for keeping the purple in eggplants is soaking it in vinegar for 5 minutes. This step is optional as it doesn't affect the taste, but if you are serving guests, soak the eggplant in 6 cups of water and 3 tbsp of vinegar for 5 minutes, and the eggplant will stay nice and purple even after steaming.

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