This Honey Garlic Eggplant and Shrimp recipe turned out so good, I had to share it. The tenderness of the Asian eggplants in the honey garlic sauce is everything!
I initially tried this recipe without the shrimp; just the eggplant in the sauce. It was great. The shrimp adds meatiness and some fanciness to the recipe, but you can absolutely do without it.
When I make this dish, I usually pair it with some white rice. The eggplants and shrimp go well on a bed of rice. Of course, it will be equally delicious on top of some mashed potatoes or alongside baked potatoes, like these Easy 3-ingredient Baked Potato Wedges or the Oven Roasted Potato Cubes. You can even serve it as an appetizer - place one shrimp and a few slices of the eggplant on top of a cracker or a small slice of pita or Naan bread.
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The Ingredients:
- 2 Asian Eggplants (Japanese or Chinese)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, from fresh lemons
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons of oil for sautéing, divided
- 2 leek leaves (optional)
- 1 pound (454 gm.) raw shrimp, deveined, peeled, tail removed
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Chili flakes (optional) - this will add some spice to your dish
- 1/3 cup Honey Garlic Sauce - I used VH Honey Garlic Marinade:
About Asian Eggplants:
Varieties of Asian eggplants include Japanese, Chinese, and Thai. They are sweeter and more delicate in flavor than the regular (American) Eggplants. The regular eggplant is more spongy in texture, whereas the Asian eggplant is softer and more tender.
While Japanese and Chinese eggplants are very similar, Thai eggplants vary in color, from white to green to purple. They are also slightly more bitter. You can definitely tell them apart from the Chinese or Japanese eggplants.
I love using the purple variety. The color is so beautiful. It definitely stands out in a dish.
How do I keep the bright purple color of the eggplant?
Eggplants tend to darken when cooked. They usually lose the beautiful purple when heated.
Adding acidity and/or salt to the eggplant before cooking helps preserve its color.
Preparation:
- Cut off the ends of each eggplant and discard. Cut the eggplants into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Let stand for approximately 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the leeks (optional) and prepare the shrimp (peel, remove tail).
- Heat one tablespoon of cooking oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Add the eggplant pieces and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the leeks and sauté an additional 5 minutes, until the eggplants have softened. Transfer to a plate.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in the skillet you used to sauté the eggplants. Add the shrimp. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning once midway. Once the shrimp have cooked through and turned pink, stir in one teaspoon of dried basil.
- Transfer the cooked eggplants and leeks to the skillet with the shrimp. Add 1/3 cup of honey garlic sauce and the chili flakes to taste (optional). Mix well to combine. Add more sauce if required.
Try these other shrimp recipes:
The Recipe:
Recipe
Honey Garlic Eggplant and Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 Asian Eggplants Japanese or Chinese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice from fresh lemons
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons of oil for sautéing divided
- 2 leek leaves optional
- 1 pound 454 gm. raw shrimp, deveined, peeled, tail removed
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Chili flakes optional - this will add some spice to your dish
- 1/3 cup Honey Garlic Sauce - I used VH Honey Garlic Marinade
Instructions
- Cut off the ends of each eggplant and discard. Cut the eggplants into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Let stand for approximately 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the leeks (optional) and prepare the shrimp (peel, remove tail).
- Heat one tablespoon of cooking oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Add the eggplant pieces and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the leeks and sauté an additional 5 minutes, until the eggplants have softened. Transfer to a plate.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in the skillet you used to sauté the eggplants. Add the shrimp. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning once midway. Once the shrimp have cooked through and turned pink, stir in one teaspoon of dried basil.
- Transfer the cooked eggplants and leeks to the skillet with the shrimp. Add 1/3 cup of honey garlic sauce and the chili flakes to taste (optional). Mix well to combine. Add more sauce if required.
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