Add water to a wok/pot in which you plan to steam the eggplants. Heat the water over a burner.
Right before the water begins to boil, start preparing the eggplants. Trim off their stems but keep their skin on. Cut them into chunks (as shown in the recipe images) or thick sticks. Place them onto a serving plate, then immediately put the plate into the steamer (see note 4).
Cover the steamer with a lid. Leave to cook over high heat for about 6 minutes.
While waiting, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients, namely garlic, fresh chili, scallions, cilantro, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, black rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil.
When the eggplant is cooked, take out the plate. You may pour the sauce over the eggplant straightaway and serve the dish hot. Alternatively, let the eggplant cool completely (or chill in the fridge) then add the dressing and enjoy it as a salad.
Notes
1. Both Chinese eggplant and globe eggplant work well for this recipe.2. Fresh garlic paste can be made with mortar and pestle or a very fine grater like Microplane.3. To make this dish vegan, use vegan oyster sauce/素食蚝油 (known as mushroom vegetarian stir-fry sauce), or omit oyster sauce and increase the quantity of light soy sauce.4. If, for any reason, you can’t steam the eggplant immediately, soak the cut pieces in water with any light-colored vinegar or lemon/lime juice. Drain well before steaming.