Sweet and Sour Eggplant with Garlic Chips

1. Fry the Garlic Chips

Slice the garlic thinly and heat the sunflower oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the garlic slices until they are crisp and golden-brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the garlic chips using a sieve and set them on a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkling them with a pinch of kosher salt.

2. Cook the Eggplant

In the same skillet with the remaining oil, add the Japanese eggplant chunks and cook for 6-8 minutes until golden-brown and slightly wrinkled.

3. Add Sauce Ingredients

Pour in the low-sodium soy sauce, light brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes to the skillet with the eggplant. Stir and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes.

4. Finish with Herbs

Remove the skillet from heat, and mix in the roughly chopped cilantro and basil leaves.

5. Serve and Garnish

Serve the eggplant hot, topped with the crispy garlic chips prepared earlier.