Main Course · Dinner · Asian ·

Spicy Singaporean Sambal Eggplant with Fried Basil Leaves

Name: Spicy Singaporean Sambal Eggplant with Fried Basil Leaves
Prep time: 23 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 93 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Main Course
Ingredients: 2 medium-sized eggplants, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds; 1 tsp salt, for sweating the eggplants; 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying; 4 tbsp sambal oelek, store-bought or homemade; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 small onion, chopped; 1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and thoroughly dried; 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying; Cooked jasmine rice, optional, as needed

This Singaporean dish combines the rich flavors of eggplant with a spicy sambal and the aromatic notes of fried basil leaves.

4.2(942 reviews)

·By Ethan Brooks·January 31, 2026

Spicy Singaporean Sambal Eggplant with Fried Basil Leaves — Main Course served and photographed from above

Prep

23 min

Cook

1 h 10 min

Difficulty

Intermediate

Serves

Ingredients

Servings

For the Eggplant

For the Sambal

For the Fried Basil

For Serving

Nutrition

Per serving

Calories: 1488 kcal
Protein: 2.3 g
Carbs: 10.5 g
Fat: 162.4 g
Fiber: 3.3 g

Whole recipe

Total

Calories: 5950 kcal
Protein: 9 g
Carbs: 41.8 g
Fat: 649.5 g
Fiber: 13 g

Breakdown by ingredient▾

Ingredient	Cal	P	C	F	Fib
2 medium-sized eggplants sliced into 1/2 inch rounds	80	2.4	20	0.2	8
1 tsp salt for sweating the eggplants	0	0	0	0	0
2 cups vegetable oil for frying	3840	0	0	432	0
4 tbsp sambal oelek store-bought or homemade	40	2	8	0.4	2
2 cloves garlic minced	8	0.4	2	0.1	0.1
1 small onion chopped	40	1	9	0.2	1.5
1 cup fresh basil leaves washed and thoroughly dried	22	3.2	2.8	0.6	1.4
1 cup vegetable oil for frying	1920	0	0	216	0
Cooked jasmine rice optional, as needed	0	0	0	0	0

These estimates are not dietary advice.

Preparation

Get these tasks done before you start cooking.

Preparing the Eggplant

1
Season eggplants with salt
Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let sit for 20 minutes.
2
Dry eggplants
Rinse off the salt and pat the slices dry with paper towels.
3
Heat oil
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet for frying.

Making the Sambal

1
Heat oil
In a separate pan, heat a small amount of oil on medium heat.
2
Sauté aromatics
Add minced garlic and chopped onion, sautéing until fragrant.
3
Cook sambal
Stir in sambal oelek and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

How to Make Spicy Singaporean Sambal Eggplant with Fried Basil Leaves

Total time: 1 h 33 min · Yields 4 servings

1
Fry the eggplant
Deep fry eggplant slices until golden brown, then drain on paper towels.
2
Fry the basil
Heat oil in a small pot, carefully fry the basil leaves until crisp, about 10 seconds.
3
Cook the sambal sauce
Let the sambal cook down until it thickens slightly before tossing with eggplants.