Sweet and Sour Gaji Tangsu (Crispy Eggplant)
A special one-bowl dish of twice-fried crispy eggplant served with a sweet and sour sauce.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
Salted to draw out moisture and coated in potato starch, the eggplant is fried twice so it is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Paired with a sweet and sour sauce flavored with oyster sauce and vinegar, it is a great way to enjoy everyday ingredients in a novel way.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Eggplant2, 300 g
- Onion1/3
- Carrot1/4
- Salt1/2 tsp
- Potato starch1/2 cup
Sauce
- Water1 cup
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Oyster sauce1/2 tbsp
- Vinegar2 tbsp
- Sugar2 tbsp
- Potato starch slurry1 tbsp
- If you do not have oyster sauce, you can replace it with regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang).
- The potato starch slurry is a mixture of 1 tbsp potato starch and 1 tbsp water.
- Sprinkle the salt evenly over the eggplant and let it sit for about 10 minutes to absorb the seasoning.
Steps
1. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, cut each half lengthwise again, and cut into 2–3 cm lengths.
2. Slice the onion and carrot thinly into shapes similar to the eggplant.
3. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the eggplant and...
4. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to absorb the seasoning.
This allows the flavor to penetrate and draws out moisture from the eggplant so the potato starch coats it well.
5. Place the eggplant and potato starch in a plastic bag, tie the bag, and shake it to coat evenly.
6. Pour in enough oil to submerge the eggplant and flip them as you fry, allowing you to fry them with a small amount of oil.
After frying once, drain them in a strainer and let cool for 1–2 minutes before frying a second time to enjoy them much more crisp.
7. Place on paper towels to drain excess oil.
8. Heat oil in a heated pan, add the onion and carrot, and stir-fry briefly.
Vegetables in tangsu lose their texture if stir-fried too long, so it is best to stir-fry them only briefly.
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9. Add all the sauce ingredients except the potato starch slurry, and once it begins to bubble vigorously,
10. Add the potato starch slurry evenly and...
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11. Once it turns glossy and thickened, the sauce is done.
12. I tossed the fried eggplant right in the sauce since I was eating it immediately, but serving the sauce on the side and pouring it over the fried eggplant right before eating will keep it crispy.
Ppunwife's tips
- After frying once, drain them in a strainer and let cool for 1–2 minutes before frying a second time to enjoy them much more crisp.
- Vegetables in tangsu lose their texture if stir-fried too long, so it is best to stir-fry them only briefly.
- Serving the sauce on the side and pouring it over the fried eggplant right before eating will keep it crispy.
FAQ
Is there a way to make the eggplant crispier when frying?
After frying once in the oil, drain them in a strainer to cool for 1–2 minutes, then fry them a second time to make them much crispier.
What should I do if I do not have oyster sauce for the sauce?
If you do not have oyster sauce, you can substitute regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) to cook it.
Is there a trick to coating the eggplant with potato starch easily without clumping?
Put the salted eggplant and potato starch together into a plastic bag, tie the opening, and shake gently to coat them evenly.
