Easy Vegan Tofu & Eggplant Stir Fry
Servings 3 people
Equipment
- sauté pan or wok
- Mixing bowl
- tofu press (or any weighted flat surface)
- baking tray / large plate
- clean kitchen dish or paper towel
Ingredients
- 1 block (14oz) extra firm tofu pressed & diced into cubes
- 3 medium (1½ cups) eggplants sliced
- ½ tbsp sea salt
- 1 medium (½ cup) red / green bell peppers roughly chopped
- 3 cloves (1 tbsp) garlic minced
- ¼ medium (¼ cup) onions diced
- 1-3 pieces dried chili peppers (or any hot pepper of choice / red chili flakes)
- 3-4 tbsp oil for frying
- sesame seeds for garnish
FOR THE SAUCE
- 2 tbsp vegetarian stir fry sauce (I use the Lee Kum Kee brand)
- 2 tbsp low sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp mirin or any rice cooking wine
- 1 tbsp sugar (or sweetener)
- 1 tsp corn starch
Instructions
FOR THE SAUCE
- In a small sauce bowl, whisk all ingredients together and set aside until ready for use.
FOR THE STIR-FRY
- Prep the eggplant slices. Salt an even layer of sea salt on each side of the eggplant slices. Massage thoroughly and cover with a clean kitchen/paper towel. Allow the liquids to absorb for 20 minutes. Excess water will release from the eggplant once it is salted. Wipe down each eggplant to remove excess salt OR rinse off with cool water. Pat dry before cooking.You can find a detailed instruction on how to prep your eggplants before cooking here.
- Remove excess liquids and press tofu. Pat dry. Dice into bite sized pieces.
- Preheat sauté pan (or wok) to medium high heat. Coat with oil.
- Fry tofu on each side until it is golden brown and crispy. Then, remove from the pan and set aside. Using the same pan, fry eggplant slices until they are tender and slightly caramelized on the center. Remove from pan and set aside. Do NOT fry tofu and eggplant at the same time. It will end up as a soggy, oily mess.
- Re-coat a little splash of oil on the pan (optional or if tofu and eggplants have absorbed all the initially). Toss in the aromatics such as the garlic and onions. Sauté until fragrant. Add the dried chili peppers or red chili flakes. Season with a sprinkle of salt & pepper.
- Add the tofu back into the pan and mix with the aromatics. Toss the bellpeppers into the pan and stir. Lower down the heat to medium low. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes for the temperature to go down. Then, add the bellpeppers. Mix until well combined.
- Gradually pour the sauce. Do not add all at once as it may dry up real quick. Stir with the ingredients until it is evenly coated. Toss the eggplants back into the pan and stir gently. Add the rest of the sauce and let it simmer for 4-7 minutes in low heat or until sauce has thickened.
- Turn off heat and garnish with sesame seeds. Best served fresh with a bed of rice.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Stir Fry Sauce - Any stir fry sauce would work. For this recipe, I used the Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce. If you live on Guam, you can find this in most Asian supermarkets. I got mine at American Grocery and I found some at Hafa Adai Supermarket.
- For proper tips on how to prepare eggplant - you can find my braised eggplant recipe and instructions here.
- Not a fan of frying? While texture may not be the same, you can bake or air fry tofu and eggplant. Coat tofu and eggplant with a small splash of oil and season with a little salt & pepper. Lay it on a baking tray and line with a parchment paper. Bake it at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-40 minutes (depending on your oven) flipping it halfway through. Please note: monitor the eggplants - if the slices are tender, remove it before it burns or becomes too mushy.