Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Spicy Schezwan Eggplant


A  few weeks ago, I asked you what veggie you would like to see more of through the Yuca Diaries' facebook page.  There was an overwhelming response for eggplant.  Secretly I was so happy about this, because eggplant happens to be one of my favorite vegetables.  Did you know that in Italy it is known as the "poor man's cutlet"? It is such a versatile veggie. So I embarked on my mission to cook up a tasty eggplant dish, but to my dismay, I went to four different grocery stores only to find out from the produce manager that the crop had been ruined because of bad weather.  I was overjoyed when I found my beloved eggplant about three weeks later.  So without further ado, here is what I made when I finally got my hands on it.

Ingredients:
4 Chinese eggplants
1/4 cup sliced green onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1″ knob of ginger, minced or grated
1/3 cup canola oil

 For the sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup vegetable stock
2 tbsp. duck sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. chili paste or Asian hot sauce like Sriracha

First slice the eggplant into planks, about 2-1/2 inches long. Add the canola oil to a wok and turn the heat up to high. Add the eggplant in batches. You may have to add a little more oil for the second batch. Saute the eggplant on high heat, stirring occasionally.

Let the eggplant get golden brown on all sides. In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the sauce and whisk until you have an even mixture. Mince or grate the garlic and ginger and transfer to the wok with all of the eggplant.

Make sure the heat is set to high and then add in the sauce, tossing everything around really well. Add in half of the green onions and mix well. Reserve the rest of the green onions for the garnish.

Serve with steamed rice.

3 comments:

Jenna said...

This looks so good! My problem is that when I make eggplant it always seems to absorb waaaay too much oil and ends up greasy. =( How do you work around that?

Rox said...

Hi Jenna!
I know what you mean, typically, I try not to go overboard with the oil, and I've found that if it comes out too greasy, I put it on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess. Usually does the trick.

Caleah said...

WOW That looks good!


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