Mapo Eggplant
Mapo Eggplant is a delicious and spicy stir-fry dish featuring tender eggplant and a savory sauce, inspired by the Chinese Mapo Tofu, but with a veggie twist.
Nutrition
Calories: 220cal
Carbohydrate: 30g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 10g
Cholesterol: – -mg
Sodium: 450mg
Difficulty Level: easy
15 min Prep
20 min Cook
35 min Total
4 Servings
Ingredients
- 3 medium eggplants (about 1.5 pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 2 tablespoons doubanjiang (fermented broad bean chili paste)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground
- 3 green onions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (optional, for thickening)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your eggplants by cutting them into 1-inch cubes. Soaking them in salted water for 15 minutes can reduce bitterness. After soaking, drain and pat them dry with paper towels.
- In a large frying pan or wok, heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.
- Add the doubanjiang to the pan and fry for 1 minute to release its flavors. If you prefer a milder taste, reduce the amount of doubanjiang.
- Add the eggplant cubes and diced red bell pepper. Stir well to coat with the sauce. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is tender.
- While the eggplant cooks, mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, vegetable broth, sugar, and ground Sichuan peppercorns in a bowl.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the eggplants in the pan. Stir well to combine. If you prefer a thicker sauce, add the cornstarch water mixture and stir until the sauce thickens.
- Add the sliced white parts of the green onions to the pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes until they soften.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed. Remove from heat and garnish with the chopped green parts of the green onions.
