Eggplant or Aubergine or is a vegetable that I am now just becoming to love as an adult. It was never really around when I was growing up. Who knew there was such a variety of different eggplants and flavors! With it’s creamy, meaty texture. It has become a staple in our house. Like a sponge it soaks up all the yummy sauces which makes it perfect for my asian eggplant stir fry.
Tips For Making The Stir Fry
Eggplant
I like roasting the eggplant before I saute it because I feel like it takes out the excess water, brings out the caramelization of the eggplant and guarantees its softness. If you don’t have extra time it is okay to skip this step and go straight to sauteing it in your wok. The high heat is what brings out the natural sugars in the eggplant which gives it its nice caramelization.
The easiest way to cut your eggplant is to slice them into 1 inch thick rounds and then cut into 1/4s. So they appear to be triangle shaped.
You can use both regular eggplants or asian. I find the asian eggplants to be sweeter. Both are just as good for this recipe.
Eggplant is like a sweet nature sponge. That is why I love making my asian eggplant stir fry with them. They soak up all of the sauce creating little bombs of flavor. I think eating eggplant in stir fry is my favorite way to eat it!
Mushrooms
I like using mushrooms in this stirfry because they have a similar texture and also soak up the sauce well. They bring a beautiful earthy flavor to this dish.
I love shiitake mushrooms but feel free to use whatever mushroom you enjoy most.
If you don’t like mushrooms you could always sub out for another vegetable like potatoes, bell peppers or zucchini.
The Sauce
One of the reasons I use asian flavors often is because they are of course delicious but also very forgiving. Generally most asian flavors pair well with one another and you can use different amounts based on your preference.
For example. If you want to add sweetness to your dish you could add brown sugar, honey, palm sugar or in this recipe mirin ( a fermented sweet cooking rice wine)
If you want to add heat you can use sriracha, chili flakes, sambal, chili oil.
To add additional flavors you can use coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, black bean paste, oyster sauce, hoisin, ponzu. Each bringing their own unique flavors.
So play around and find out your perfect asian stir fry sauce profile. The best part of experimenting with all the different flavors is you can start building your own flavor pantry!
Asian Eggplant Stir Fry
Equipment
- Wok
Ingredients
- 2 Eggplants Diced. If using asian eggplant use 3.
- 1 Cup Shiitake Mushrooms Sliced
- 1 Bunch Green Onions ends removed and chopped
- 4 Tbsp Avocado Oil Or something similar.
- 3 Garlic Cloves Minced
Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1/3 Cup Coconut Aminos Or Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sambal Or Sriracha
- 1 Tbsp Mirin
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock
- 2 Dried Red Chilis Chopped For garnish
Instructions
- Start by warming the oven to 425 degrees.
- Take eggplant and chop into large bite size pieces.
- On a sheet pan add the eggplant and coat with 2 tbsp avocado and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 7 minutes.
- Remove and set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together all of the sauce ingredients.
- In a large wok or saute pan add remaining 2 Tbsp of avocado oil.
- Once hot and in minced garlic, green onions, and mushrooms. Saute for a minute.
- Now add in eggplant and sauce.
- Saute for 3-5 minutes until sauce starts to thicken.
- Remove from heat and top with additional green onions and chopped red chili peppers.
- Eat by itself or serve with jasmine rice.
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