Sardine Sambal with Eggplant
Tender and melt-in-your-mouth with hints of tomatoes and a mildly spicy chilli kick, this single-pan Eggplant Sambal Sardine recipe takes no more than 30 minutes to make for the easy weekday dinner.
Equipment
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Chopping Board
- Non-Stick Frying Pan
- Turner
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 1 onion, medium-sized
- 5 eggplant, small-sized
- 1 tbsp cooking oil, unscented
- 430 g sambal paste, homemade
- 150 ml water
- 1 can sardine, 425g
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 spring onion, chop to 1.5 inches, stems and leaves separated
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients.
- Slice the red onion thinly. Set aside.
- Remove the stems and dark spots from the eggplants. Cut them into half length-wise, and chop them into semi-circles.
- Heat the cooking oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Fry the sliced onions in the pan once the oil is hot, for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add the sambal paste to the pan. Stir fry constantly to prevent splatters, for about 2 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Next, drain the water from the eggplants. Add the eggplants to the pan and stir evenly.
- Stir in 75 ml of water if it looks dry. Cover the pan and let it braise for 10 minutes, rotating the sambal every 2-3 minutes to prevent burning at the bottom of the pan.
- After 10 minutes, open the cover and stir in another 75 ml of water if it is dry.
- Add the sardine, fish sauce and sugar. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Optionally, break the sardine into smaller chunks as you stir. Cover and let it cook for 3 minutes.
- Check the softness of the eggplants. Taste and adjust as preferred.
- Add the stems of the spring onions, stirring to soften them.
- Switch off the heat.
- Transfer to the serving bowl and top with the spring onion leaves. Serve with rice.
Notes
Tips
- Soaking the eggplants in water immediately after cutting them reduces the oxidation rate, so they remain white. Notice in the video, the first eggplant had turned slightly yellow after cutting the second one, while the rest kept their white appearance even adding to the pan.
- There is no salt in this recipe as the fish sauce adds saltiness, fragrance and umami.
- Ensure to watch the video to see exactly how I made it!
Nutrition
Calories: 174kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 8gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 3gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 297mgPotassium: 327mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 64mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 1mg
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