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    Home » All Recipes » Appetizer and Side dish » Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Scallion Oil

    Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Scallion Oil

    Published: Sep 5, 2019 Updated: Jun 16, 2021 by Sophie 1 Comment

    181 shares
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    Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Scallion Oil (Ca Tim Nuong Mo Hanh) is a rustic Southern dish. Whole eggplants are grilled until charred and served with fragrant scallion oil, fish sauce dressing and roasted peanuts.

    Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Scallion Oil (Ca Tim Nuong Mo Hanh) features whole eggplants grilled until charred and served with fragrant scallion oil, fish sauce dressing and roasted peanuts.

    This quick and easy Vietnamese eggplant dish is a fun appetizer or side dish. I like how light it is while still having a lot of different flavors and textures.

    Whole eggplants are grilled until charred on the outside and sweet and creamy on the inside. A generous drizzle of the traditional lime fish sauce dressing (nuoc cham) will add saltiness, sweetness, and sourness. The scallion oil adds aroma and some richness. Finally, a sprinkle of roasted peanuts for some crunch.

    Ingredients

    To make Ca Tim Nuong Mo Hanh, first you will need some Asian eggplants. They are long and slender with a thin purple skin and a delicate sweet flavor. You can find them at Asian grocery stores.

    Asian eggplants

    The scallion oil requires just two ingredients, scallion and oil. Neutral-flavored oil is often recommended here. As for me, I like to use light olive oil to make it. Scallion oil is a popular topping for various Vietnamese grilled dishes, such as Vietnamese grilled pork chops or grilled oysters.

    For the dressing, you will need fish sauce, sugar and a squeeze of lime juice (optional). I also add minced garlic and bird’s-eye chili for extra flavor and heat. If you want to keep the dish vegan, you can use salt in the dressing instead of fish sauce.

    How to Make Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Scallion Oil

    The first step is grilling the whole eggplants. Grilling is a great way to cook whole eggplants because it is quick and adds a nice charred taste to the eggplants. I use my Staub grill pan to cook them and I’m sure an outdoor grill will also work.

    Grilling whole eggplants

    If you don’t have a grill pan or an outdoor grill, you can roast them in the oven. This method will take longer to cook and there won’t be a charred taste. However, I have tried it and the dish still turns out tasty.

    Before grilling or roasting whole eggplants, poke a few holes around them to prevent bursting during the cooking process. Grill until the skin is charred and there is no resistance when you insert a chopstick or fork into the eggplants. Once the eggplant is almost ready, prepare the dressing/sauce and scallion oil.

    How to Serve Vietnamese Grilled Whole Eggplant

    Vietnamese Whole Grilled Eggplant are topped with scallion oil, roasted peanuts and fish sauce dressing.

    Before serving Ca Tim Nuong Mo Hanh, you will need to peel and discard the skin. I like to slice the eggplants into chunks to make it easier to eat. Some people like to leave them whole when serving and that also works.

    If leaving them whole, you can run a fork along the peeled eggplant to separate the flesh into strips. The flesh will absorb the dressing/sauce more that way. Please feel free to add as much dressing, scallion oil and roasted peanuts as you want.

    Vietnamese Grilled Whole Eggplant is a very light dish. When I want to make it more substantial to be a main dish, I will stir-fry some ground pork with minced shallot, garlic and fish sauce. The sautéed ground meat will then be an additional topping on the eggplants.

    In the photo above, the eggplants were roasted in the oven. I left them whole and topped with ground pork, scallion oil, dressing and peanuts.

    Related Recipes

    Some other eggplant recipes on the blog:

    • Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs with Tofu and Turmeric
    • Stuffed Eggplant with Black Bean Sauce

    I’d love to hear what you think about this dish, so please feel free to leave a comment. New recipes are added every week so let’s connect on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates. You can find my collection of Vietnamese recipes here.

    Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Scallion Oil

    Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant with Scallion Oil (Ca Tim Nuong Mo Hanh) is a rustic Southern dish. Whole eggplants are grilled until charred and served with fragrant scallion oil, fish sauce dressing and roasted peanuts.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizers and Side dishes
    Cuisine: Vietnamese
    Keyword: grilled eggplant
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 3 people
    Calories: 191kcal
    Author: Sophie

    Ingredients

    US Customary – Grams
    • 2 Asian eggplants (medium, use 3 if they are small)

    For the dressing/sauce

    • 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
    • 2 teaspoons lime juice
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon water
    • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
    • 1 bird's-eye chili, minced (optional)

    For the scallion oil

    • 2 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil (light olive oil or neutral-flavored oil)
    • 1/3 cup thinly-sliced scallions (about 4-5 stalks)

    To serve

    • roasted peanuts

    Instructions

    • Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Use a toothpick or chopstick to poke a few holes around the eggplants. Place them on the grill and grill until the outside is charred, about 15-20 minutes. Rotate every 5-6 minutes for even charring.
      Grilling whole eggplants
    • When the eggplants are almost ready (about 5 minutes to go), combine all ingredients to make the dressing in a bowl. Taste and adjust to your liking, it should be on the salty-sweet side.
    • Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and wait for the oil to be hot. Drop a piece of sliced scallion into the oil and if it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready. Add the remaining scallions and cook for a few seconds until fragrant and scallions are soft.
      Scallion oil
    • Transfer cooked eggplants to a clean cutting board and peel off the skin. Be careful since they can be very hot. You can slice the eggplants into chunks or leave them whole and run a fork along them to separate the flesh into strips.
      Peeling grilled eggplant
    • Place eggplants on serving plates. Drizzle dressing, scallion oil and sprinkle roasted peanuts on top.

    Notes

    It is optional to use lime juice in the dressing. I like to add it to brighten the dish. Please adjust the dressing to your liking.
    If you don’t have a grill pan or an outdoor grill, you can roast the eggplants at 400F in the oven for 40 minutes or until soft.
    If you want to make the dish more substantial to be a main dish, you can stir-fry some ground pork with minced shallot, garlic and fish sauce. The sautéed ground meat will then be an additional topping on the eggplants.
    If you want to make the dish vegan, eliminate the fish sauce. Use lime juice, salt and sugar to make the dressing.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 730mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Related Posts:

    • Stuffed Eggplant with Black Bean Sauce
      Stuffed Eggplant with Black Bean Sauce
    • Vietnamese Fried Tofu with Scallions
      Vietnamese Fried Tofu with Scallions
    • Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs with Tofu and Turmeric
      Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs with Tofu and Turmeric
    • Vietnamese Grilled Beef in Lolot Leaves (Bo La Lot)
      Vietnamese Grilled Beef in Lolot Leaves (Bo La Lot)
    Disclosure: Delightful Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we use and trust.
    Copyright: All content and photos on Delightful Plate are copyright protected. Please do not use them without our written permission. Thank you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Darren Tran

      December 28, 2019 at 8:50 pm

      5 stars
      You are a God send! These recipes are magnificent.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Sophie! Delightful Plate is where I share authentic Vietnamese recipes that have been cooked in my family for years, as well as other Asian recipes and recipes inspired by ingredients and flavors from other cuisines. Read More…

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