Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Garlicky Green Onion Sizzle

Grilled eggplant with green onion oil and a garlicky fish sauce is a classic Vietnamese side dish for homey meals. I grew up eating it and have ordered it at restaurants in Vietnam. I've also made it hundreds of times. Typical versions involve charring eggplants over an open flame, then discarding the skin and presenting the collapsed flesh under a cloak of rich mỡ hành, which entails sizzling green onion in hot oil. The resulting dish, known as cà tím nướng mỡ mành, is a personal favorite but, honestly, it's a lot of work for a side dish.

To make it faster and turn it into a main dish, I grill thick meaty slices of eggplant and keep the skin intact to retain as many nutrients as possible. (Eggplant skin is where all the phytonutrients are located and sadly, it's often discarded in recipes!) The resulting eggplant "steaks" keep well for days, ready for serving under the luscious green onion-garlic sauce spiked with fish sauce and chile -- which is made in less than a minute using the microwave. I still follow my recipe published in Ever-Green Vietnamese but recently experimented butchering the eggplant as spears and cooking them by high heat roasting and air-frying. The different shape is fun for a party and faster to prep. The eggplant still retains its fatty richness.

Who wouldn't want to eat this Viet eggplant with rice and a stir-fried veggie or a simple pasta dish and a green salad? My modern rendition of cà tím nướng mỡ hành is also fabulous stuffed into banh mi. I've added feta and herbs to it, along with roasted cherry tomatoes to enjoy with pita. In this post, I'll share my original recipe from Ever-Green Vietnamese plus the tweaks I've made to air-fry and roast the eggplant, just in case you want to make it to entertain a crowd like I have.

How to buy good eggplant

Eggplant isn't picked when ripe, but you don't want them immature and rock-hard either. Pointers I have gathered from Hmong farmers Tra and Kou Her who farm in Fresno, California, and cultivate about five different kinds of eggplants:

• Does eggplant size matter? Size does not necessarily reflect flavor, Tra said, noting that a big eggplant with a pocket inside may taste just as good as a smaller one without one.
• What about perfect skin? Camera-ready, firm eggplants aren't necessarily the best. Minor dents or flat patches happen from the eggplants sitting around. They may even feel slightly spongy yet still dense. Softer eggplant is a sign of ripeness and sweet flavor, Kou said. Those are all signs of good eggplants to eat!
• What to avoid? Eggplant that is so soft that you a poke a finger into it (a sign of rotting fruit). 

In summary, don't pass up soft, spongy-ish eggplants as long as they feel dense and are relatively heavy for their size. And, when in doubt, ask the farmer or produce person.

Eggplant butchering options

You have options on how to cut the eggplant but always think of how you'll be cooking and serving your creation. Thick rounds or half circles are my default for a main course kind of eggplant. They grill easily because of their broad surface and store well laying flat.

Spears are great for a stand-up party because of their smaller size and shape; they roast roast or air-fry well. Spears don't easily grill and lose their good looks if not stored carefully in a container.

How to cut, roast and air-fry eggplant spears

The recipe is for eggplant rounds but when I've made this dish for a party, I quarter each eggplant then cut each quarter into wedges about 1 ½ inches (3.75cm) wide. Put the eggplant on a baking sheet (ok to let them touch) and drizzle and rub a light coating of oil all over. Season with the salt.

Air-fry at 400F (205C) until soft and charred here and there, 15 to 20 minutes. If there's not enough browning for you, raise the heat to 425F (218C) and air-fry for about 5 minutes. Alternatively, roast the eggplant in the oven at 425 to 450F (218 to 232C) but if there's convection in your oven, use it for nice caramelization. Cooking time depends on the eggplant density and size. I've nearly dried the eggplant during my experiments and this dish still tastes amazing because of the sauce so play with it! Cutting spears creates a healthy dish that looks holiday-ish too.

Garlicky green-onion sauce secrets

When developing this recipe for my plant-focused cookbook, Ever-Green Vietnamese, I streamlined the recipe to combine the green onion oil garnish with the dipping sauce. The flavors were much better integrated than the original and there was less dishwashing.

What you'll do: Microwave the green onion and garlic with a little oil -- it should only take about 45 seconds to soften the green onion and slightly cook the garlic. If you plan to store the sauce overnight, add a pinch of baking soda to preserve the green color. After the brief cooking, then stir in the fish sauce, water and chiles to ensure fresh flavor. (Use regular fish sauce, or do as I did in the photo below and use the splendid vegan fish sauce in the book.)

Print Recipe

Grilled Eggplant with Garlicky Green-Onion Sizzle | Cà Tím Nướng Mỡ Hành

This recipe has been very mildly adapted from the one in my book, Ever-Green Vietnamese (2023, Ten Speed Press). Check the main post for additional tips for butchering the eggplant and making the sauce in advance.

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Keyword: charred eggplant

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lb | 675g globe eggplants
• Fine sea salt
• 3 to 4 tablespoon neutral oil (such as canola or peanut), plus more for brushing

Garlicky Green-Onion Oil

• 1 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or peanut
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 1 ½ to 2 tablespoon fish sauce (regular or vegan)
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 or 2 Thai or small serrano chiles, with seeds intact, sliced

Instructions

• Cook the eggplant: Tear off the flaps from the eggplant stem ends, then cut off the stems and a slice of the butt ends. If you're using medium eggplants, cut them into slices, each about ⅝ inch (1.5cm) thick. If your eggplant is large, halve it lengthwise and then cut crosswise to yield thick half-moons.
• Put the eggplant in a very large bowl, season with ¼ teaspoon salt, and toss with the neutral oil to coat lightly. Set a cast-iron stovetop grill over high heat and lightly brush with neutral oil (or prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium-high). In batches, grill the eggplant for 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until just cooked through (a knife tip inserted should meet little or no resistance). Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet or plate, and let cool to warmish or room temperature.
• Prepare the green onion-garlic sauce: In a small, microwavable bowl, stir together the green onions, garlic, neutral oil, and salt. Microwave on high power for 45 to 60 seconds, until bubbly, steamy, and fragrant. Stir, then let cool to lukewarm. Stir in 1 ½ tablespoon of the fish sauce, the water, and chile. Taste, and if needed, add enough of the remaining 1 ½ teaspoon fish sauce to pack extra punch.
• Assemble and eat: Arrange the eggplant on a plate. Spoon all the glorious green-onion oil over the eggplant and serve.

Notes

Store the cooked eggplant in an airtight container for up to 3 days; return to room temperature to serve.

If you're new to fish sauce, check my primer on how to buy, store and use fish sauce well.