Pickled Plum
Steamed Korean Eggplant (Gaji Namul)
My Korean eggplant recipe is steamed until tender, then tossed in a pungent, sweet and slightly smoky garlic sauce. The first velvety bite reminds me of sitting in my favorite late night K-Town restaurant with friends, at a table packed with colorful banchan. I made sure this Korean garlic eggplant recipe could be ready in about 20 minutes, start to finish.
Why This Recipe Works
- Korean eggplant has a velvety texture, thin skin and cooks quicker than globe eggplant.
- A low-cal recipe, but punchy and assertive authentic Korean flavors.
- It’s versatile. Can be served as an appetizer (banchan) – or as a light main.
I crave Korean food at inopportune times. Like at midnight, wrapped in a cozy blanket on the couch. It’s just how I’m wired. Steamed Korean eggplant, marinated in soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil – garnished with minced garlic and green onions is always worth getting off the couch to make. It’s called gaji namul – and it’s an iconic Korean banchan (side dish) that is typically served either cold or at room temperature. When I cook the eggplant, I’m honing in on a texture that is tender and creamy (but it shouldn’t be falling apart). 20 minutes later, chopsticks in hand, I’m always glad I made the effort.
Table of Contents
- Steamed Korean Eggplant Ingredients
- The Best Eggplant to Use For This Recipe
- How to Make Garlic Korean Eggplant
- What to Serve With Steamed Korean Eggplant
- Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions
Steamed Korean Eggplant Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements!
- Eggplant: You’ll need about 1-pound of eggplant. If you’re using long, slender Asian eggplant, that’s usually about 3-4 total.
- Green Onions and Garlic: Minced garlic and chopped green onions do a lot for both sharp, pungent flavor – as well as texture.
- Soy Sauce: For big time umami.
- Sesame Oil: I use toasted sesame oil specifically. Read more about sesame oil here.
- Fish Sauce: Fish sauce is briny, salty – and introduces so much depth of flavor to this Korean eggplant recipe. It’s available at most grocery stores these days, or you can grab fish sauce on Amazon.
- Honey: A tablespoon of honey imparts a mild sweetness that compliments the otherwise savory marinade.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is bright but mellow. Not too sharp.
- Gochujang: This is a funky, spicy and sweet Korean red chili paste made from fermented soybeans and red chili powder. It’s magnificent. Read all about Korean gochujang here.
- Salt: Just a pinch or two, to taste.
The Best Eggplant to Use For This Recipe
- Look for eggplant at the grocery store called Chinese or Japanese eggplant. Depending on the market, they might also be labeled Korean eggplant.
All three varieties are long and slender with reasonably thin, shiny skins. These eggplant cook quickly and have fewer seeds.
Globe eggplant (the thick, round ones) take longer to cook, are packed with seeds and have thicker skins. They work in a pinch, but aren’t ideal.
How to Make Garlic Korean Eggplant
- Prepare the eggplant. Trim the stems off your whole eggplant, then slice into pieces that are roughly 3 inches long and an inch thick. Place the eggplant pieces into a steamer basket.
- Steam the eggplant. Add about 2 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil on the stovetop. Once boiling, place the steamer basket atop the pot and cover with a lid (or foil). Lower the heat to medium and steam the eggplant pieces until tender – but not falling apart. This should take 8-12 minutes. Test often. Once the eggplant is tender, turn the heat off and transfer the eggplant pieces to a bowl or plate and allow to cool a bit.
- Make the garlic sauce. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the garlic, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, gochujang, fish sauce and rice vinegar and mix well.
- Mix and serve. Once the eggplant has cooled down, add it to the mixing bowl and toss until well mixed. Season with salt if needed and serve.
Expert Tip You can test the doneness of your eggplant while it is still in the steamer basket. Poke a piece with a chopstick or the tines of a fork. If you can pierce the outer skin and the inner flesh easily, it’s good to go. If not, keep steaming.
What to Serve With Steamed Korean Eggplant
At a Korean restaurant, banchan are the small plates that arrive at your table after you’ve ordered, but before the main courses arrive. However, they’re not really appetizers. Think of them as snacks you can savor on their own – or as a supporting condiment throughout your entire meal.
I could eat an entire meal of just banchan. Here are a few recipes I frequently serve alongside gaji namul:
- Korean Spinach Side Dish (Sigeumchi Namul)
- Spicy Daikon Radish Salad (무생채)
- Korean Bean Sprout Salad (Sookju Namul)
- Kimchi – 김치
- Korean Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim)
- Dongchimi (Korean Radish Water Kimchi)
Storage
Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days.
Eat leftovers cold, right out of the fridge. The flavors should actually deepen during storage. However, you can add a tiny splash of soy sauce and sesame oil if you need an additional seasoning boost.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be! But you’ll have to make a couple ingredient changes. For a vegan gaji namul, the fish sauce will have to go. Instead of fish sauce, just use an equal amount of soy sauce. So, for this recipe, you’d be using 1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce total. The second ingredient you’ll 86 is the honey. Simply swap the honey out for agave nectar instead.
Since it has soy sauce, this recipe is not gluten free as written. However, you can easily use liquid aminos or tamari instead of the soy sauce. Boom. Easy.
While there’s a little bit of heat from the gochujang, it’s a fairly mild dish overall. This makes it great for people who love punchy Korean flavors, but who may also be sensitive to spicy foods. If you want your Korean eggplant spicier, simply add gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper powder). It’s spicy – but also fairly smoky. Read all about Korean gochugaru here.
Want to add this eggplant recipe to a full-on Korean banquet? When I go feast-mode, here’s what I make:
- Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)
- Vegan Bulgogi
- Pan Fried Tofu With Gochujang Sauce
- Korean Chive Pancake (Buchujeon)
- Rose Tteokbokki (Creamy and Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)
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Did you like this Korean gaji namul side dish? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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