Eggplant Stir-Fry

by Mary Sacks

Yes, the picture shows protein. That is because I'd rather add it to the dish on my own timeline so it doesn't get that spongy texture. It doesn't matter if I'm making my own or ordering out.

Stir-Fry

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, cubed (See Article: Preparing Eggplant for Cooking)
3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thin sliced
1 medium onion, sliced thin
3 green onions, chopped
1½ cups broccoli
¼ cup prepared RBC Chicken Broth or RBC Vegetable Broth

Sauce

Ingredients

¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
2 Tbsp. honey or agave
3 tsp. chili garlic sauce or sriracha
2 tsp. cornstarch
¼ cup prepared RBC Chicken Broth or RBC Vegetable Broth

Directions

Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
Stir-Fry: Prepare vegetables as described.
Heat oil in a large skillet to medium. Add eggplant cubes and stir to coat with oil. Cook for 3 minutes, then decrease the heat to medium-low, very slowly add ¼ cup of broth and cover the pan.
Cook 5-7 minutes until eggplant starts to soften. Add garlic, onions, bell peppers, and broccoli. Stir to combine and then cover the skillet.
After 5 minutes, remove the lid and add the sauce. Stir until all of the veggies are coated.
Increase the heat to medium-high and continue cooking until the sauce thickens and the vegetables are cooked. About 5-7 minutes.
Serve over rice.

Food for Thought

Think rice first. I’m a basmati rice fan myself. You really don’t want to be focusing on the stir-fry while your rice is boiling away. It should be cooking while you are prepping everything else.
Think eggplant second. How will you prep it? See Article: Preparing Eggplant for Cooking before you jump. Stir-fry requires some prep time and you don’t want all that work going to waste because of a bitter eggplant.
Let’s talk stir-fry vs steamed. The recipe above is classic, but I’ve been known to skip the cornstarch and not have a thickened sauce. Just call it preference. Once you put that lid on the pan you create steam.
A twist. How about this? Drain that milk soaked eggplant, pat it dry, roll it in a little cornstarch and saute until lightly browned. Set aside. Sauté up the rest of the ingredients, toss in the sauce mixture, cook to your liking, plate it up over the rice and garnish the creation with the eggplant. Cook like a pro!
Proteins. None, beef, chicken, seafood, pork, etc. I really dislike spongey chicken and that is what you get when the protein sits too long in the sauce. It’s also why I will only order vegetable Chinese takeout. I’d rather cook my own and add it to the dish.
OK, the sales pitch. Now you get to match your stock with the protein in your dish. Beef gets beef broth, chicken gets chicken broth, vegetable gets vegetable broth and seafood get seafood broth.
Soy sauce. I don’t think everything should taste like soy sauce. I have a tendency to cut it back in my recipes because I want to taste the other ingredients. Just saying.