Spicy Garlic Eggplant (鱼香茄子)
This Spicy Garlic Eggplant dish is inspired by the famous Szechuan dish '鱼香茄子, Yú xiāng qiézi'. It is packed with flavors of spicy chili, ginger and a mixture of delicious sauces. What an appetizing dish to add to your lunch or dinner plans!
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 lb [450g] Japanese eggplant
- 2 oz [65g] firm tofu pressed and mashed
- 6 dried chilis boiled until soft
- 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- a handful of chopped green onions
- oil for cooking
- salt to taste
- ¾ cup water with 1 teaspoon cornstarch whisk to combine
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Chenkiang vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cooking wine, Michiu or sub with vegetable broth
Instructions
- Place dried chilis in a small pot with 1 cup of water (enough to cover all the chilis) and bring it to a rolling boil. Then, cook until chili turns soft. Drain and chop chilis into tiny bits which should yield about 1 tablespoon.
- Cut eggplant into 2" chunks, then heat a small tall pot with about 1 cup of oil to about 375°F (190°C).
- Fry eggplant for 1 minute, remove and drain them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat with a drizzle of oil and add in the mashed tofu. Pan-fry tofu until golden brown, then push to the side of the pan.
- Add another swirl of oil in the pan, and sauté chili, ginger, and garlic until aromatic, about 1 minute.
- Place in the partially cooked eggplant and season with soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, michiu, and give it a quick toss to combine.
- Gradually add in the water with cornstarch then stir to mix all the ingredients together.
- Let the mixture simmer until the sauce is thickened and eggplant is fork-tender. Season with more salt or soy sauce if needed.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve warm with a bowl of your favorite cooked grain.
Notes
- If using round eggplant, increase the water required and cooking time