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Hakka-style eggplant with prawn filling

Hakka-style eggplant with prawn filling

“A southern Chinese delicacy, stuffed vegetable and tofu dishes are very popular with the Hakka people. Traditionally, Asian eggplant is stuffed with a filling made with prawns and pork but I’ve just used prawns. Use large Japanese eggplant if available.”

Hakka-style eggplant with prawn filling

Serves 6
Cooking Time Prep time 20 mins, cook 20 mins
3   Japanese eggplant
For dusting:   cornflour
For shallow-frying:   vegetable oil
To serve:   thinly sliced spring onion
Prawn stuffing
300 gm   green prawn meat
1 tbsp   cornflour
20 ml   Shaoxing wine
1 tbsp   light soy sauce
1 tsp   finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp   finely chopped spring onion
Oyster dipping sauce
165 ml   (¾ cup) oyster sauce
60 ml   (¼ cup) lime juice
2   garlic cloves, finely chopped


1 For prawn stuffing, process all ingredients except spring onion in a food processor to a coarse paste (1-2 minutes), transfer to a bowl, add spring onion and mix well to combine. Cover, refrigerate until required.
2 For oyster dipping sauce, combine ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
3 Slice eggplant diagonally into 2cm-thick pieces, then halve each piece horizontally, without cutting all the way through, to make a pocket for stuffing. Spoon ½ tbsp prawn stuffing into each eggplant pocket, pressing to spread prawn stuffing evenly. Dust eggplant with cornflour, shaking off excess, and season with sea salt.
4 Heat oil in a deep-sided frying pan or wok over medium-high heat until hot. Shallow-fry eggplant in batches, turning occasionally, until eggplant is tender and golden and prawn stuffing is cooked through (5-6 minutes). Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot with oyster dipping sauce.

This recipe is from the January 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

RECIPE Tony Tan PHOTOGRAPHY Ben Dearnley STYLING Geraldine Munoz and Emma Knowles


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