Eggplants are quite the unique fruit (yes, it is a fruit due it to its edible seeds). Because it is more bitter and savory than I would imagine a fruit would be. It is (and should be) an essential in most households as there are a lot of delicious ways of cooking and preparing it. While I have no issues cooking with eggplants in my own household, there seems to be an issue for those who are new to it.

One, it could be very bitter when it is not prepared properly. Two, it releases so much water that when cooking it straight from a pan – you might end up with a puddle of mess. Three, it can either be too tough or too soggy. But how about if I tell you that you can use a foolproof way of preparing eggplants like a total professional home cook? It requires an easy additional step of preparation but it would only take a minute to do and 30-minutes of resting time.

And later on, let me show you (2) ways of how you can cook amazing eggplant dishes to bring to the table. Let’s get to it!

PREPARATION

What you will need:

Sea salt
Baking tray, large casserole dish, or a large plate
Paper towels or a clean dry tea towel

This method is to draw out most of the liquids from the eggplant – which causes the bitterness and puddle of water it contains.

Slice your eggplant(s) into equal pieces. I like to chop mine diagonally (for no particular reason, it just looks prettier that way, haha!) Just ensure that it is sliced as evenly as possible so that it can all cook properly at the same time.
Using a baking tray or a casserole dish, or any flat surface that will get your eggplants spread out, generously sprinkle with an even layer of sea salt. Do not worry about it being salty, we will be wiping down the salt.

Massage eggplants with the salt. You can squeeze it a little as you massage so that the salt can penetrate the eggplant. Once you are finished, place the eggplant slices on a single layer of the baking tray.
Cover the eggplant slices with a dry paper or kitchen towel. Press down with your palms to squeeze out the liquids. You will start to see the eggplants sweating.
Leave it covered for, at least, 30 minutes. Preferably, an hour beforehand.

Remove towel from the eggplant slices. You will see notice that the eggplants have wilted and water has been released.
Drain the excess water. Wipe down each eggplant to strip off the salt. Be sure to wipe it down properly, otherwise the eggplant will be too salty. You can also lightly rinse off the salt to save on time and pat the eggplants dry before cooking.

Now that the preparation is complete, let’s get cooking!

FOR BOTH RECIPES YOU WILL NEED:

Sauté pan or cast iron skillet with a lid to braise.
My all around stir fry sauce from my Chow Mein Recipe.

VEGAN SPICY BRAISED EGGPLANT

I was browsing through one of my favorite food bloggers’ recipe, Omnivore’s Cookbook, when I came across mapo eggplant and thought, “that looks absolutely divine!” And I wanted to take inspiration from it. This isn’t exactly an authentic mapo eggplant recipe made vegan but I wanted to make a spicy eggplant dish that had a mix of protein in it that is quite similar. So it is a hearty dish that does not feel like an appetizer. A great one-bowl-one-pot dish, I must say.

If you love spicy food, you most likely will enjoy this one! It is mega-savory, aromatic, and the perfect eggplant dish to pair over freshly steamed rice.

Print Pin

Spicy Vegan Braised Eggplant

Course Entree, Side Dish

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Asian Cuisine, Spicy Eggplant, Vegan Eggplant

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

2 large eggplants evenly sliced
1 cup (80g) TVP or Veggie crumbles
½ cup yellow or white onions diced
1 tbsp garlic crushed & minced
1 tsp fresh ginger minced
½ cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp fermented chili paste (such as gochujang or doubanjiang)
½ tbsp Sichuan peppercorn (ground) or substitute red chili flakes
cooking oil
sliced green onions for serving
sesame seeds for garnish

FOR THE STIR FRY SAUCE

3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or sub tamari for gluten free)
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp organic brown sugar
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar (mirin or dry sherry)
1 tsp corn starch
1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small sauce bowl and whisk. Set aside until ready to use.
Prepare eggplant as instructed on the blog.
Rehydrate or follow preparation instructions on the TVP or veggie crumbles. If you are using dehydrated veggie protein, be sure to strain out all the excess liquid before cooking.
Preheat a sauté pan to medium high heat. Coat with a tablespoon of cooking oil. Once pan is fully heated, pan fry eggplant on each side until they are golden are slightly golden brown (or charred on each side) and a little tender. Temporarily remove from the pan and set aside.
Using the same pan, sauté aromatics such as the onions, ginger, and garlic. Toss until fragrant and shimmery. Sprinkle the ground Sichuan peppercorn (or red pepper flakes) and mix until well combined.
Add in the fermented chili paste and stir. If it is too thick to sauté with, dilute it with a tablespoon of veggie broth and stir.
Toss in the TVP / ground crumbles and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the eggplants back in and gradually pour the sauce. You may or may not use all of it, so add little by little to adjust throughout the cooking process. Pour vegetable stock and stir. Cover with a lid to allow it to simmer for 5-7 minutes (or when liquids have reduced) and lower down the heat to medium low.
Uncover the pan and add the rest of the sauce. Mix until well combined. Turn off heat. Add the green onions and sprinkle with a little bit of sesame seeds.
Best served with a bed of rice. Enjoy!

Notes

Eggplant Selection – I used the vibrant purple Chinese / Japanese eggplant for this recipe as they have very little seedlings and are more neutral in flavor. You can pick whichever eggplants you prefer, however, I do not recommend an eggplant with many seedlings as it will be stronger in bitterness and retain so much water – which is not ideal for stir fry like this.

Sichuan Peppercorn – This is a numbing Chinese spicy peppercorn used in Szechuan cooking. I got these on Amazon a while back and have yet to scavenger hunt in Asian supermarkets (on Guam) to find these. It has a distinct sweetness and aroma, ideal for spicy Chinese dishes. If you cannot find this on island, red pepper flakes will do just fine – it just won’t have the Szechuan spice. It will still be numbing in heat.

Don’t want to use veggie crumbles or TVP? Use extra firm tofu. Pat dry and press the excess liquids before crumbling.

VEGAN GARLIC BRAISED EGGPLANT

For those who are not a fan of spicy, I got you! Making a garlic braised eggplant may just do the trick. Using my all around stir-fry sauce to flavor this dish (which was found in my Chow Mein recipe) and a crispy garlic topping, this is a sure fire win-win. What I love about this braised eggplant recipe is that it is super saucy and it has so much volume in flavor. Once again, it is great one-pot dish for one of those evenings that call for an easy weeknight dinner.

Not only is it aromatic but the tenderness of the eggplant makes it a wonderful side dish or main course that you can serve with noodles or rice.

Print Pin