Vietnamese Air Fryer Eggplant - Cà Tím Nướng Mỡ Hành
2-3 Servings
00:02 Prep
00:25 Cook
Easy - You got this
Watch me make this recipe on my YouTube channel here!
Smokey air fryer eggplant flavoured with fish sauce, garlic and a fragrant homemade spring onion oil. A traditional Vietnamese dish with many similarities to baba ganoush.
This Vietnamese roasted eggplant recipe is my grandma’s and never failed to attract a crowd at family gatherings. She would make this eggplant side dish mostly on special family occasions and laboriously slow roasted them over charcoal to enhance the charred and smokey flavour. Compared to the time it took grandma to roast the eggplant, it only took a fraction of that time for our family to consume it.
It’s a dish I really miss and as much as I loved the charred flavour, using an air fryer allows our family to enjoy it on a regular basis..and still obtain a slight smokey flavour.
When combined with the savoury umami flavours of fish sauce, the aromas of garlic and spring onions, and a touch of sugar accentuating the eggplant’s natural sweetness, it instantly evokes memories of my grandma’s eggplant dish.
Roasting eggplant in the air fryer is a great alternative to lighting up some charcoal. So, if you love quick eggplant dishes, do yourself a favour and give this recipe a whirl to experience the sweet and smokey flavours of this Vietnamese eggplant dish on any occasion.
Ingredients:
3 small eggplants, washed and dried
35ml neutral cooking oil
½ bunch spring onions finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon premium fish sauce
¼ teaspoon Duncan Lu Anchovy Salt (optional)
1 chilli deseeded and finely minced
Method:
Using a knife, poke holes into the eggplant, then rub with 1 tablespoon of oil, and place into air fryer oven at 190C for 25 minutes or until well roasted.
In a medium mixing bowl, add spring onions, garlic and ½ teaspoon sugar and mix well.
Duncan’s tip: Mixing sugar into the spring onions before adding oil allows the sugar to melt.To make the spring onion oil, in a small pot/milk pan bring remaining cooking oil to smoking point, then carefully pour into bowl of spring onions and mix well, then set aside.
Remove eggplants from air fryer and place in a large bowl and cover with cling wrap for 10 mins.
Duncan’s tip: This will allow the eggplant to sweat and make the skin easier to peel.Peel eggplant then roughly chop it’s flesh and place into bowl of spring onion oil. Add ½ teaspoon sugar, fish sauce, anchovy salt and chilli and stir in well.
Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
