Vegan Sesame-Ginger Eggplant Fries (Crispy Vegan)

Crunchy, sesame-sprinkled eggplant bites with a gingery kick — basically fries for people who care about veggies. They look fancy, taste bold, and somehow everyone asks for seconds. Wins all around.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings: 4

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Calories: 202

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants chopped into cubes (or sticks if you prefer fry shape)
2 teaspoons salt for sweating and flavor
2 tablespoons cornstarch for crispiness
Soy-Based Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce or just extra soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Stir-fry
3 tablespoons vegetable oil peanut oil works great
1 tablespoon grated ginger
4 cloves garlic minced
Garnish optional
Fresh coriander or chives
Sesame seeds toasted

Equipment

Large rimmed baking tray (if you salt and lay out eggplant to sweat)
Large frying pan or wok (for best results use a heavy-bottomed pan)
Wooden spoon or spatula
Small bowl for the sauce mix
Paper towels and a plate for draining

Method

Salt the eggplant
Lay the chopped eggplant on a tray. Sprinkle 2 tsp salt and let them sit 10–15 minutes. This removes bitterness and reduces water, so the eggplant crisps up instead of stews. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.
Coat with cornstarch
Toss the eggplant with 2 tbsp cornstarch. Ensure an even, light coating — this makes the crust. Shake off excess.
Mix the sauce
Whisk together soy sauce, water, dark soy (optional), sugar, and 2 tsp cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.
Fry the eggplant
Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add eggplant in a single layer if possible. Fry 2–3 minutes per side until golden and blistered. Toss as needed so each piece gets color.
Add ginger & garlic
Toss in grated ginger and minced garlic, stirring for another 4–5 minutes until the eggplant softens and absorbs flavor.
Finish with sauce
Pour the soy-based sauce over the pan, stir quickly, and let it thicken for 1–2 minutes. The sauce should become glossy and coat each fry. Serve hot over rice or noodles and sprinkle sesame seeds and fresh herbs on top.

Notes

Nutrition & Calories (estimate — useful for meal planning)

I like to keep things real, so here’s an approximate calorie breakdown for the whole recipe and per-person depending on how many you serve. I used standard nutrition conversions and typical ingredient weights.

Estimated total calories (entire recipe): ~810 kcal

Per serving if serves 2: ~405 kcal
Per serving if serves 3: ~270 kcal
Per serving if serves 4: ~202 kcal

Notes: This estimate includes the oil and an optional 1 tbsp sesame seeds. If you skip the garnish or use less oil, the numbers drop. Want precise numbers? We can adjust based on your exact eggplant size and measure of oil.