Japanese eggplants cook fairly quickly and this stir fry sauce consists of basic ingredients such as soy sauce, chile black bean sauce, palm sugar and fresh ginger. The ginger and black bean sauce enhances the bland eggplant and tofu. All that’s left is to steam a few leafy greens and have jasmine rice ready in the rice cooker. It’s as easy as 1-2-3!
I barely have time for anything these days, and when I have very little time to cook, my go-to dish is a tofu stir fry. It’s nutritious and it allows me to make use of whatever I have on hand. Learn the basics and you’ll be able to dazzle your family with creative stir fry dishes.
1. Info for Spicy Eggplant Tofu Recipe
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Servings: 6
- Calories: 228kcal
2. Ingredients for Spicy Eggplant Tofu Recipe
- 1 (12-ounce) package firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons canola oil (or any neutral oil), as needed
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 3 Japanese eggplants
- ½ teaspoon mushroom seasoning salt (or regular salt), to taste
- 1 tablespoon chili black bean sauce
- 1 teaspoon palm sugar, freshly grated (or light brown sugar)
- 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
3. Directions:
- Clean the chunk of ginger, carefully removing any dirt. Peel the ginger root with a paring knife or the edge of a spoon, then chop very finely. Trim the eggplants. Cut them in half lengthwise and slice them into 5-6 pieces. Layer a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet (to collect the excess moisture). Place the eggplant pieces on the rack and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Let sit for about 20 minutes, then pat dry using paper towels. Drizzle the eggplants with a little oil and sprinkle with about 1-½ tablespoons ginger. Toss well. Cut the tofu into ¾-inch slices. In a wok, heat the canola oil. Pan-fry the slices on both sides until golden. The tofu should have a nice fried outer crust and still be moist inside. Transfer the tofu onto paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Allow to cool a little. As soon as the tofu is not too hot to handle, cut each slice crosswise into thirds, then into cubes.
- In a small bowl, combine the black bean sauce, soy sauce and sugar. Stir well.
- In the same wok, add the rest of the ginger and the shallots. Cook until fragrant, then add the eggplant pieces. Ensure that the eggplant pieces are lightly coated in oil (no need to use a lot). Drizzle with the soy sauce mixture. Add the tofu pieces. Toss well, cover with a lid, lower the heat to low and cook for about 5-8 minutes until soft and tender. Once all the liquid at the bottom of the wok evaporates, check doneness of the eggplant (add more water if not fully cooked; I didn’t).
- Drizzle with toasted sesame oil (if used). Check seasoning; add mushroom seasoning salt and black pepper. Turn off the heat. Keep on the stove for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with jasmine rice and drizzle a little vegetarian nước chấm dipping sauce over it. Bon appétit!
