“Stir-fried eggplant with green beans is a popular home dish from Hunan,” according to Yang Liu, who contributed this recipe from Vegan Chinese Food. “As the name suggests, it consists of two main ingredients, which are stir-fried together with a bit of sauce.”
Yang Liu continues, “Yard-long beans (also known as meter beans or Chinese long beans) are normally used for this dish. They are long green beans that can grow more than 1 metre (3.3 feet) in length, hence the name. Yard-long beans are a popular vegetable in summer and they are also used commonly in pickling.
Since yard-long beans are a very seasonal vegetable and might be hard to come by for many, I have replaced them with green beans for this recipe.”
A couple of tips for making this recipe
- If available, by all means use yard-long beans (meter, Chinese long beans). Learn lots more about them in this Guide to Chinese Long Beans, a Classic Asian Vegetable.
- This recipe calls for vegan oyster sauce, a umami-rich condiment. Find it at Asian groceries, online sources, or make it yourself. It’s quite easy — here’s a recipe for Vegan Oyster Sauce that’s vegan and gluten-free.
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Excerpted with permission from Vegan Chinese Food by: Yang Liu, published by Hardie Grant Publishing © 2024. Photos by Katharina Pinczolits.
Browsing my way through Vegan Chinese Food
A note from Nava: Vegan Chinese Food is an enjoyable book, from which I’m learning about new ingredients and techniques. Some of the measurements are a bit non-standard for the American kitchen, but everything can be figured out, and honestly, don’t have to be followed to a T to come out deliciously. Here are a few recipes that I’ve made, and that I have my eye on, as you’ll see by way of the post-its!
Clay Pot Eggplant with Glass Noodles is the first recipe I made, as I absolutely love these noodles (aka Bean-Thread Noodles). Easy and straightforward, it didn’t disappoint.
I was so curious about Di San Xian, which features potatoes. I had never had a Chinese dish using potatoes! This one is flavored with vegan oyster sauce, which you can purchase or make yourself. There are lots of recipes online!
I love tofu skin, so this easy salad, in which it’s combined with cucumber, carrots, and bean sprouts is a real keeper.
Explore more …
- Easy Spicy Eggplant in Garlic Sauce
- Delicious Global Eggplant Recipes
- Stir-Fried Sesame Green Beans
- Plant-Rich & Easy Green Bean Recipes
Stir-Fried Eggplant with Green Beans
Stir-fried eggplant with green beans is a popular home dish from Hunan. As the name suggests, it consists of two main ingredients, which are stir-fried together with a bit of sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, 10 to 12 ounces, sliced about 1½ inches long and ½ inch wide
- 3 ounces canola or other high heat vegetable oil
- 7 ounces green beans or yard-long (metre) beans, cut into1 1/4-inch lengths
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegan oyster sauce (see Note)
- 1 scallion, sliced
Instructions
- Fill a saucepan with hot water and place a steam rack in the pot (the water level should not be higher than the steam rack). Place the eggplant on a plate on the steam rack, cover with a lid and let it steam over high heat for 5 minutes.
- Heat a wok over a medium–high heat and, once hot, 2 ounces 1/4 cup of the oil. Add the steamed eggplant, stir-fry for a few minutes, until it’s slightly browned and cooked, then remove.
- Add the remaining oil and the beans and stir-fry for a few minutes until they’re slightly brown and cooked.
- Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and vegan oyster sauce and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce has been mostly absorbed by the eggplant.
- Add the scallion and serve.
Notes
Vegan oyster sauce can be purchased online, or, there are plenty of recipes online if you'd like to DIY, like this one.
More about Vegan Chinese Food by Yang Liu
From the founders of the hugely popular food blog littlericenoodle.com comes Vegan Chinese Food. [by Yang Liu and Katharina Pinczolits] This delightful cookbook features flavorful plant-based alternatives to 86 well-loved and diverse Chinese recipes, including sauces, dumplings, noodles and desserts.
The book draws upon author Yang Liu’s experience of wanting to make the dishes from her childhood vegan-friendly, as well as the long history of vegan cooking in China. The recipes use traditional cooking methods and skills to allow readers to make vegan versions of dishes such as Kung Pao king oyster mushroom, Zha jiang mian noodles or Hong Kong milk tea.
This book is a collaboration between Yang and her partner Katharina Pinczolits, whose photography accompanies every dish. Each recipe features helpful tips on how to master techniques or season a wok, and beautiful reflections on food’s connection to memory, place, family and cultural representation.
Vegan Chinese Food is a book that belongs on any kitchen shelf. For those who are vegan or those who are looking to consume less meat, those who have mastered Chinese cooking and those who are new to it, there’s a favorite recipe here for everyone — all easy, delicious, and 100 percent plant-based.
Yang Liu was born in Hunan province in China and spent her early years moving around China, sampling all the different cuisines in each region. Eight years ago, she moved to Spain, where she met her partner, Katharina Pinczolits, and the two now live in Austria. Together, they became vegan and started exploring and experimenting with vegan Chinese cuisine. They started their Instagram account, littlericenoodle, in late 2019 and have since accumulated over 165,000 followers, who love watching their videos of how to make vegan Chinese food.
Find them on Instagram and TikTok, both @littlericenoodle.
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