Summer is eggplant season, and Eggplant NaMul is a delicious, quick side dish that you can make for your meal. If you can’t eat spicy food, you can skip the spicy ingredients for this recipe. Try it someday. 
It is especially good if you have eggplants coming out of your ears, and if so, you might want to try one of my older recipes: Eggplant Bokkeum. 
Yield: 2 Cups
Short Korean Lesson: *^^*
- GaJi (가지) = Eggplant
- BoRa (보라) = Purple
Main Ingredients
- 2 Oriental Eggplant (12 oz)
- 1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Green Onion
- ½ Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 tsp Soy Sauce (or Soup Soy Sauce)
- 2 tsp Hot Pepper Powder
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- ½ tsp Red Hot Pepper
- ½ tsp Sesame Seeds
- ¼ tsp Vinegar
Brine Ingredients
- 4 Cups Water
- 1½ tsp Salt
Directions
Cut 2 oriental eggplants into 2-inch pieces. Oriental eggplants are long and thin, and I think that the taste is not much different than the fatter variety, so just use whatever eggplant you can find.
Slice each piece every ½ inch, but do not cut all the way through. This will help the eggplant cook better, and it will give you more flavor.
Add 4 cups of water and 1½ tsp of salt in a mixing bowl. Soak the eggplants in it.
Since eggplant floats, place a dish on top of the eggplant pieces. Set it aside for about 10 minutes; this will help flavor the eggplants.
After 10 minutes, have your steamer ready, and steam the eggplant pieces.
Steam them for about 5 minutes on high, or until the eggplant gets soft.
Cool them a little, and then tear the eggplant into ½ inch strips; they should tear easily. In this step, some people squeeze the eggplant to get rid of some of the water; I skipped that, and did not have any problems. If your eggplant seems watery, squeeze some water out gently.
Combine the eggplant, 1 Tbsp of finely chopped green onion, ½ Tbsp of minced garlic, 2 tsp of soy sauce, 2 tsp of hot pepper powder, 1 tsp of sesame oil, ½ tsp of finely chopped red hot pepper, ½ tsp of sesame seeds, and ¼ tsp of vinegar.
Mix everything together. Taste it and add more salt if needed.
Chill for at least 15 minutes before serving for the best taste. Eggplant goes bad very quickly, so it will only be good for a few days – not any more than a week. Store it in the refrigerator. Serve it with rice, soup, and other Korean side dishes for your Korean meal. Enjoy!
It looks so delicious. I’ll do that someday but can i skip sesame oil and chili powder?
hi Milla,
Yes, you can skip them..just you will lose some flavor from them. thanks
Hi Aeri!
I made this dish tonight for dinner and guess what! There was NOTHING left! So delicious. I didn’t have the time to snap a photo, but next time I make it (soon) I will photograph and post on my blog. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe
By the way, there is a Korean candy that I’m just crazy about and would love to learn how to make. It is called Chestnut Yanggaeng, do you know it? There is a photo here: http://1tess.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/chestnut-yanggaeng-korean-candy/
Do you think you can find this recipe for me? You don’t have to test it, I’m just not being very successful at finding it in English.
Thank you so much!
hi Renata,
To make a recipe, I have to try by myself first and write down detailed amount to get accurate recipe..and more than anything I have to like the result.. so please wait for me.. if you want to try my recipe not others.. 
I will add it to my list and make it for you someday. thanks
Well, if you couldn’t find the recipe in English on the internet.. I think I can’t either.
hi Aeri.
Thank you for posting up the recipe!
I want to make it,I love eggplant so much,
In iran so many food makes with Eggplant,
My mother loves eggplant and i think she likes this recipe,too.
I think You’re so lucky,because you will make people laugh when they eat your recipe.
In Iran there is a kind of pickle which named((Naz Khatoon:princess))wich is made of Eggplant and Flavor vegetables.
Would you like me to send its recipe for you?because I think it is the same of your desire??
hi danoosh,
hehe thanks
Nice to meet you. Wow, you are from Iran.. I’m so luck to meet people from the world like you..hehe Yes, I will love to try your country food. Please send it to me.
hi aeri! i just discovered your website last week as i was interested in korean food after watching so much korean drama haha. yesterday i went to a korean grocery store (i live in the philippines) and was so excited to see the ingredients you’ve posted here (rice cakes, pickled radish, tofu pockets, chunjang, etc). just wanted to tell you how much i enjoy your site and your recipes. keep up the good work!