Food & Receipts

How to Pickle Sweet and Sour Eggplant: A Simple Guide to Making Crispy, Flavorful Pickles Without Browning or Sliming

Indulge your family's summer feasts with this tantalizing recipe for delectable Pickled Bitter Melon.

20 April, 2024

In the hot summer season, sour and sweet pickled eggplant is probably one of the most characteristic and popular dishes. Although it is often eaten, not everyone knows how to cook it so that the eggplant is crispy and delicious, without being bruised or having a spoiled membrane.

Join Lady Today to learn how to make this simple and delicious sour and sweet pickled eggplant dish.

1. Ingredients for making sour and sweet pickled eggplant

– 1 kg crispy white eggplant

– 1 lemon

– 100 grams of fresh galangal

– 30 grams of fresh ginger

– 6 chili peppers

– 2 cloves of garlic

– Seasoning: Salt, 200 ml fish sauce, 100 ml vinegar, 200 grams of sugar, 100 ml lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of chili sauce

Choose eggplants with a firm outer skin and a bright white color.

2. How to make sour and sweet pickled eggplant

Step 1: Prepare the ingredients

– After buying the eggplants, wash them clean and then put them in the sun or in a dry, light place to wilt. Then cut off the stems and slice into bite-sized pieces.

– Peel the garlic, wash it clean and let it dry.

– Peel the ginger and galangal, wash them again with water and set aside.

Step 2: Soak the eggplant

– Take a clean basin of water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the juice of 1 lemon. As you cut the eggplant into small bite-sized pieces, put them into the prepared water basin.

– Soak the eggplant in the lemon salt water for about 30 minutes, then rinse with 4 to 5 times of water until the water is clear.

Step 3: Boil the sour and sweet fish sauce

– Take a clean pot, add 200 ml of fish sauce, 100 ml of vinegar, 200 grams of sugar and 100 ml of lime juice that have been seeded.

– Then boil this mixture and let it cool.

Step 4: Soak the sour and sweet eggplant

– Add 100 grams of fresh galangal, 2 peeled cloves of garlic, 6 finely ground chili peppers, and 30 grams of fresh ginger to a blender and blend until smooth.

– Put the prepared eggplant into a clean glass jar, then add the freshly ground mixture and 1 tablespoon of chili sauce to the jar.

– Add the boiled sour and sweet fish sauce mixture and mix well.

– After about 30 minutes to 1 hour of preparation, you can enjoy this sour and sweet pickled eggplant dish. However, if you want the dish to be more delicious, you can wait about 1 day before taking it out to enjoy.

The sour and sweet pickled eggplant dish will have a very eye-catching color after being prepared. When eating, you will feel the crunchy, flavorful eggplant that is extremely appealing.

3. Notes on making sour and sweet pickled eggplant

– Choose eggplants with a firm outer skin and a bright white color. Do not buy yellow eggplants because they are usually old eggplants, which are not as delicious.

– If you do not have much time, you can add the fish sauce mixture directly to the glass jar without boiling it.

– To prevent the eggplants from turning black when pickled, soak them in lemon salt water and rinse off the sap thoroughly. In addition, when putting the eggplants into the glass jar, pour enough water to cover the eggplants. Besides, exposing the eggplants to the sun will also help them reduce sap and turn whiter.

– If you eat sour and sweet pickled eggplant immediately after preparing it for about 1 hour, you can add some lime leaves or dip it in shrimp sauce.

Frequently asked questions

Select eggplants with a firm outer skin and a bright white color. Avoid yellow eggplants as they are usually older and less tasty.

You will need the following ingredients: 1 kg crispy white eggplant, 1 lemon, 100 grams of fresh galangal, 30 grams of fresh ginger, 6 chili peppers, 2 cloves of garlic, and seasoning (salt, 200 ml fish sauce, 100 ml vinegar, 200 grams of sugar, 100 ml lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of chili sauce).

First, prepare the ingredients and cut the eggplant into bite-sized pieces. Soak the eggplant in lemon salt water for 30 minutes, then rinse. Boil a mixture of fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, and lemon juice. Blend galangal, garlic, chili peppers, and ginger. In a clean glass jar, add the eggplant, blended mixture, chili sauce, and boiled fish sauce. Mix well and enjoy after 30 minutes to an hour, or wait a day for a more intense flavor.

Choose eggplants with firm, bright white skin. If you’re short on time, you can add the fish sauce mixture directly to the jar without boiling. To prevent the eggplant from turning black, soak it in lemon salt water and rinse off the sap. Expose the eggplant to sunlight to reduce sap and turn it whiter. If eaten immediately, add lime leaves or dip in shrimp sauce for extra flavor.