魚香茄子香醋
Cuisine: Sichuan-inspired | Shared by: Shanti Christensen

Eggplant wasn't a favorite of mine while growing up. I always had the itchy sensation on my tongue and roof of my mouth. Fortunately that went away with growing pains. Now I'm a sucker for the nutty and buttery flavor of eggplant. My favorite eggplants to cook with are Chinese and Japanese eggplant because they're tender and don't need any salt-treatment.

For this recipe, please find douban jiang or chili bean paste in your Asian food aisle. If you absolutely can't find it, go ahead ahead and use chili garlic sauce. I'll look the other way. Also, if you can't find Chinkiang black vinegar, use balsamic vinegar. I'll look away again.

What you’ll need: A cast-iron wok and a fiery desire for spice!

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Ingredients

• cooking oil, enough to deep fry 
  
• 2 lbs Chinese or Japanese eggplant, sliced in to 2-inch spears
• 1 tablespoon chili bean paste
• 1 box organic firm tofu, cut to match the eggplant slices, 1" by 2"
  
• 200 grams okra, sliced diagonally
• 2 sweet red peppers, sliced diagonally and resembling horse ears
• 1-2 hot green chili peppers, sliced to match the red peppers
• 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• salt

Method
Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a seasoned wok. Add the eggplant and stir-fry until it browns a little. Clear a space in the wok and add another two tablespoons of oil. Add the chili bean paste and black beans and stir it in the oil puddle until it is bubbly and fragrant. Add the tofu and toss into sauce. As you toss all the ingredients in the wok, add the okra, peppers, and ginger. Stir-fry for two minutes then add the soy sauce and sugar. Continue to stir-fry until the okra is soft to your preference and salt to taste.


Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice. I know I recommend steamed rice a lot, but so many things are good with steamed rice. Steamed quinoa is a healthy substitute.