Korean Soy-Pickled Eggplant

Quick answer

Total time: 28 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Gaji jangajji is a Korean-style pickled eggplant that starts by blanching the eggplant in boiling water for just over a minute to soften only the outer surface, leaving the inside intact.

The briefly cooked eggplant is submerged in a pickling brine of soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar that has been brought to a boil and then cooled. The eggplant absorbs the brine rapidly and deeply, like a sponge, while holding a soft, yielding texture at its core. Vinegar sharpens the eggplant's otherwise flat flavor, and garlic together with cheongyang chili pressed into the brine build a low heat and quiet complexity that goes beyond basic preservation. Ready to eat after a single day in the refrigerator, this jangajji holds its texture for more than ten days when kept cold, which makes it a practical banchan to prepare in advance and pull out over multiple meals.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

eggplant500 gg

soy sauce200 mlml

water200 mlml

vinegar100 mlml

sugar90 gg

garlic4 eaea

green chili1 pcspcs

Shop All Ingredients

As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Trim the stems from 500 g eggplant, then cut each piece lengthwise into four thick sticks.

Keep the pieces similar in size so they blanch evenly and absorb the soy pickling brine at the same rate.
2

Control

Add the eggplant to boiling water and blanch over medium heat for just over 1 minute.

Remove it as soon as the outside feels slightly soft, before the flesh turns limp or starts falling apart.
3

Heat

Rinse the blanched eggplant in cold water to stop the cooking, then press it gently by hand to remove excess water.

Do not wring hard, or the soft center will crush and lose texture after pickling.
4

Control

Combine 200 ml soy sauce, 200 ml water, 100 ml vinegar, 90 g sugar, and sliced garlic in a pot.

Heat over medium heat, stirring until no sugar grains are visible and the brine comes to a clear boil.
5

Prep

Pack the eggplant and one diagonally sliced green chili into a sterilized glass container.

Let the brine cool briefly, pour it in while warm, and press the eggplant down if pieces float above the liquid.
6

Finish

Close the lid and let the container cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 day.

Before serving, check that the eggplant tastes seasoned through, and serve it cold as a banchan.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Eggplant cubes in gaji jangajji undergo a short blanching for rapid soy vinegar absorption.
Finish cue: Do not wring hard, or the soft center will crush and lose texture after pickling.
Avoid this: Over-blanching can make eggplant fall apart.
Storage and reheating: Ready to eat after a single day in the refrigerator, this jangajji holds its texture for more than ten days when kept cold, which makes it a practical banchan to prepare in advance and pull out over multiple meals.

Cooking decision evidence

Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.

This recipe

28min, 7 ingredients

Category median

32min, 7 ingredients

Based on 163 recipes

Official cooking and safety guidance

Produce preparation

Wash produce under running water before cutting or peeling it. Do not use soap or household detergent.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Selecting and Serving Produce Safely

Sources checked 2026-07-22

Use-up ingredient planner