Thai Basil & Eggplant Stir Fry
December 10, 2008 · Posted in
News
I may have said that I don’t buy eggplant very often, but the farmers’ market goes a long way towards changing that behavior. I bought Japanese eggplant this past weekend, and I wanted to make a stir fry with them. I also bought a huge amount of basil because it was so cheap – only $2 for about 3 cups! It’s hard to use that much basil before it gets wilty, so I thought I could include it in the stir fry and go in a Thai direction. I would rather have had Thai or holy basil, but I make the most of what I’ve got. I opted not to use fish sauce in this dish, as by omitting it the stir fry is vegan. The dish can easily be modified to increase the heat; as this recipe is written, the stir fry is very mild. A little squirt of Sriracha chili sauce wouldn’t hurt it if you want to keep it universally appealing!
Pud Makua Yow: Thai Basil Eggplant Stir Fry
- 2 T peanut oil
- 1/2 – 1 tsp sambal oelek (chili garlic paste)
- 1/2 onion, cut in slivers
- 4 – 6 cloves of garlic minced, 2 reserved
- 1 -3 chili peppers, finely chopped
- 2 Japanese eggplant, cut in irregular slices
- 1/4 C vegetable broth
- 3 T soy sauce, 2 reserved
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 1 T cornstarch
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 1/2 C basil leaves, torn
First, assemble your ingredients for the stir fry. Chop the onion, hot pepper, 2 cloves of garlic, and eggplant; combine them in a bowl. Then, prepare your sauce. In a small dish, combine the 2 reserved tablespoons of soy sauce, the brown sugar, the sesame oil, and the reserved garlic. In a separate small dish, dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water. Set these aside. Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large saute pan. When the oil is hot, add the chopped vegetables and the sambal oelek. Stir fry the vegetables for 5-6 minutes, adding the broth toward the end of the cooking time to keep the vegetables moist. Season the veggies with a tablespoon of soy sauce, and stir fry for another minute. Pour the sauce mixture over the stir fry, then the cornstarch mixture. Stir well, then add most of the basil. Let it wilt, then remove the pan from heat and serve. Garnish with the remaining basil and serve over steamed rice.
Serves 2.
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