Szechuan Eggplant in Garlic Sauce

There is nothing like the ease and satisfaction of a stir fry. One of my favorite take out items is eggplant in garlic sauce. When I first moved to NYC as a young artist a container of this would last me at least 2 if not three days. Unfortunately no matter how I directed the restaurant, it always comes to me swimming in oil. Even before I was WFPB I hated all that oil. What was the point?

Eggplant is such a great absorber of flavors you don’t need the cheap trick of all that grease. Plus the soft flesh just gets soppy with it, ruining the texture. In this recipe I use not one drop of oil- and offer a few suggestions on how to minimize the amount of salt.

Not Only a Recipe For Eggplant

Some of us like the tender smoosh of cooked eggplant, but if you are not a fan, this recipe is also just as wonderful with any other vegetable, or melange. Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, squashes, onions, etc.- all good. It’s also a great veggie bin sweep recipe too.

The only thing missing is a fortune cookie… maybe I should work on that next. I could write fortunes such as: There will be delicious and healthy food in your future.

Gail Watson There is nothing like the ease and satisfaction of a stir fry. One of my favorite take out items is eggplant in garlic sauce. When I first moved to NYC… Recipe index stir fry, chinese, eggplant, quick meal, gluten free European Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes 10 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound eggplant
• 2 teaspoons + 4 cups water
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
• 1-3 teaspoons chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon szechuan pepper- optional
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 low sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon mirin
• 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 2 scallions, sliced
• Brown rice to serve

Instructions

Cut the eggplant into even sized pieces. I personally like a longer shape. I cut my globe eggplant in half, then in 4 long strips, and then cut crosswise into 2.5" lengths. 
Place the water in salt in a large bowl and add the eggplant and allow to soak for 5 minutes.

In a bowl combine the cornstarch, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and mirin and stir smooth. Set aside.

Drain the eggplant and pat dry. 

Heat a large sautee pan over high heat. I use a cast iron pan.

Add the garlic and sautee 30 seconds, add the ginger, chili flakes and szechuan peppers and sautee another 30 seconds.

Add the eggplant along with 2-3 tablespoons of water and cook/steam until the eggplant is almost cooked through, about 2 minutes. 

Re-stir the cornstarch mixture and pour over the eggplant. Gently toss and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes until the sauce is thick and the eggplant is completely tender.

Serve over brown rice with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and a splash of sliced scallion.

Notes

To cut down on sodium further you can swap out one or two tablespoons of the soy sauce and add water.