A few weeks ago, I asked on The Yuca Diaries Facebook page which vegetables you’d like to see featured more often. The response was overwhelming—and eggplant was the clear favorite.
I have to admit, I was secretly thrilled. Eggplant has always been one of my favorite vegetables. In Italy, it’s sometimes affectionately called the “poor man’s cutlet” because of its hearty texture and incredible versatility.
Inspired by all of your requests, I set out to create a new eggplant recipe. Unfortunately, my plans hit an unexpected snag. I visited four different grocery stores before a produce manager explained that severe weather had damaged the crop, making eggplant difficult to find. Nearly three weeks later, I finally spotted a beautiful batch and couldn’t get it into my cart fast enough.
So, without further ado, here’s the recipe I made the moment I finally got my hands on it.
Ingredients
4 Chinese eggplants
¼ cup sliced green onions, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated
⅓ cup refined coconut oil
For the Sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
½ cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1½ tablespoons chili garlic sauce or Sriracha
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (optional)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions
Slice the eggplants into planks about 2½ inches long.
Heat the refined coconut oil in a wok over high heat. Working in batches, sauté the eggplant until golden brown on all sides, stirring occasionally. Add a little more oil if needed for the second batch. Once browned, return all of the eggplant to the wok.
While the eggplant cooks, whisk together the soy sauce, vegetable stock, dark brown sugar, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, black pepper, and the cornstarch slurry, if using.
Add the garlic and ginger to the wok and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Pour the sauce into the wok and toss continuously over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and evenly coats the eggplant.
Remove from the heat and stir in the toasted sesame oil. Fold in half of the green onions and garnish with the remaining green onions.
Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.
3 comments
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.