Steps

1. Finely chop 5cm green onion.
   🕒 01:16
2. Trim the stem of the eggplant like sharpening a pencil.
   🕒 01:38
3. Cut the eggplant into slightly larger, elongated, irregular pieces so they cook easily and absorb flavor. This is the key! They will shrink when grilled, so cutting them larger is recommended.
   🕒 01:51
4. Heat 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan.
   🕒 02:16
5. Add the eggplant to the hot pan and immediately toss to coat with oil. This is the key! By having the eggplant absorb all the oil, you'll get beautiful browning later.
   🕒 02:40
6. Grill the eggplant with the skin side down after it has absorbed the oil. This is the key! Grilling the skin side first will result in a beautiful dark purple color.
   🕒 02:59
7. Once the skin side is browned, flip and grill the other side of the eggplant until golden brown.
   🕒 03:26
8. In a bowl, combine the chopped 5cm green onion, 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, grated ginger from 1 clove, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Mix well to make the sauce.
   🕒 03:54
9. Heat the prepared sauce in the microwave. This is the key! Be careful not to overheat, as it can lose the texture of the green onions.
   🕒 04:37
10. As the eggplant browns nicely, flip and grill the un-browned parts until the entire surface is golden brown.
    🕒 04:54
11. Add the hot, grilled eggplant to the warmed sauce and mix until the flavors meld together. This is the key! Adding hot eggplant to the sauce allows the flavors to meld quickly.
    🕒 05:30
12. Let it sit for a while to allow the flavors to soak in.
    🕒 05:54
13. Once the flavors have melded, plate the eggplant.
    🕒 06:04
14. Drizzle with chili oil to taste, if desired. This is the key! It's also delicious chilled and pairs well with various dishes like somen noodles.
    🕒 06:15