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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
10 minutes
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Serves
2-4
Author Notes
Inspired by spicy mapo tofu, this eggplant dish has the same savory flavor and heat, with a numbing (ma) element in each bite. Eggplant is such a fun, versatile ingredient by itself, especially in stir-fry dishes like this. While globe eggplant works well, I love to use Japanese or Chinese eggplant for the striking purple hue. It jazzes up my taste buds just by looking at it. When shopping for this type of eggplant, it should be firm to the touch, with white color on top (this ensures a tender texture once cooked). If you have tried my Eggplant, Potato, Bell Peppers Stir-Fry, you are familiar with the roll-cut method to prepare the vegetable. This cutting method exposes more of interior, which reduces the cooking time when you simmer in the sauce. With a shorter cooking time, you’ll be able to keep the purple as shiny as possible. —WoonHeng Chia
Ingredients
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Neutral oil (such as canola), for frying
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1 pound
Japanese or Chinese eggplant
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3 ounces
firm tofu, drained and crumbled
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2 teaspoons
finely minced ginger
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3
garlic cloves, finely minced
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2
scallions, white part finely minced, green part chopped
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1 1/4 cups
1/4 cups water or vegetable broth, plus more for the slurry
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1/2 teaspoon
Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
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1/2 tablespoon
chile powder (preferably Sichuan)
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1 tablespoon
doubanjiang (fermented bean paste)
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1 tablespoon
light soy sauce
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1 tablespoon
Shaoxing wine
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1/2 tablespoon
dark soy sauce
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1/2 tablespoon
granulated sugar
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2 teaspoons
cornstarch
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Cooked rice, for serving
Directions
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Fill a large wok or saucepan with about 2 inches of oil for frying. Heat the oil to 350°F. While that heats up, trim the ends from the eggplant, then roll-cut into 1½-inch pieces (cutting the eggplant right before frying prevents it from oxidizing). Fry the eggplants for about 1 minute, until it turns slightly tender. Use a sieve to remove the eggplant, then set the sieve over a bowl.
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Carefully pour the oil into a heatproof vessel (you can reserve and reuse it for other dishes), leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan. Over medium heat, sauté the tofu, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, until a thin crust forms. Push the tofu aside and add the ginger, garlic, and white part of the scallions. Sauté for 1 minute or so, until fragrant, adding more oil if needed.
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Lower the heat, then add the peppercorns, chile powder, doubanjiang, soy sauce, wine, dark soy sauce, sugar, and water or broth. Stir to mix well, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the liquid to a boil.
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Reduce the heat to medium, add the eggplant to the pan, and gently toss to combine. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce has reduced to almost half or the eggplant is as tender as you like. (You can cover the pan with a lid to speed up the cooking, but eggplant will lose its purple hue this way.)
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While that simmers, in a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until combined.
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When the eggplant is tender enough, taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly (say, a little soy sauce if you want it saltier, or more doubanjiang if you want it spicier). Slowly add the slurry and continue to simmer until thickened. Garnish with the remaining chopped scallions and serve with rice.
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