Someone described this dish as being the 'pork belly dish' for vegetarians. Such an apt description! Its crispy on the outside and lusciously soft on the inside. This dish is something you would imagine being served in a Chinese restaurant, and its completely Vegan. Ofcourse you can add any meat (try pork!) or veggies you like, but really the eggplant is star of this dish.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant cut into cubes
200g cornflour
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger
1 onion finely sliced
2 tbsp Szechuan sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce (preferably light soy)
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp vinegar
1 tbsp black bean paste (optional)
1 tbsp sesame oil
Cut eggplant into cubes and wash. Pat dry and toss in cornflour till evenly coated. Heat oil in a pan and fry eggplant cubes until it starts to brown. Its alright is it isn't fully cooked, as it will cook with the heat of the sauce as well. Drain and set aside.
In a wok, heat sesame oil. Add the ginger, garlic and onions and stir fry till the onions are translucent. Add the Szechwan sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and black bean paste. Add some water if too thick. Turn the heat on high. Add the eggplant cubes and stir fry for a minute or two and you are done!
You can eat it as is or serve on a bed of rice or noodles.
Tip: I didn't have any at the time, but definitely add some cashews while stir frying. The crunch from the nuts goes superbly with the tender eggplants. Sprinkle some sesame seeds or spring onions to finish off the dish before serving. If you are making a non-veg version of this dish I would definitely recommend adding a tablespoon of fish sauce while stir frying.
