Stir-Fried Spicy Eggplant

Many years ago, I fell in love with a mapo-style eggplant dish from a restaurant. Then one day, they stopped serving it. So, I learned to make the dish. I enjoyed it so much that I started growing eggplants in the garden for this dish. Over the years, I’ve made so many variations of the dish, including a chili oil and garlicky bean version that I developed during the pandemic, when I didn’t have some of the ingredients that I needed.

Although the recipe has evolved over the years, it still has the bold and spicy flavors that one would expect from mapo style cooking. This is an easy and punchy version that is not too saucy. The flavors seem to develop over time. I enjoy this stir fry better the next day. It’s one of the few dishes that I could eat every day. Coming from someone who cooks so she does not have to eat the same food for two consecutive meals, that says a lot.

Notes:

Eggplant – I used the purple eggplant that is available at my local grocery store. Chinese or Japanese eggplant varieties works well. Whether you peel the eggplant or not depends on personal preferences. For me, I prefer peeled eggplants as I find that the peels can be tough. Additionally, if you have the time, you can sprinkle a bit of salt on the eggplant and let it sit between two plates to extract the liquid before stir-frying. Or you can also deep-fry the eggplant rather than pan fry as I did here.

Sauce – for a slightly saucier version add about ½ cup of unsalted chicken broth to the sauce mixture and a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch plus a couple tablespoons of water) to thicken the “gravy.”

Dried Chilies – the dried chilies are optional. I used dried red chilies that are always stocked in my pantry. Chili de arbol works well in this dish. Soak the chilies in warm water for 10 minutes, split them, remove the seeds, and cut into small pieces. Spice levels will vary depending on the chilies.

Chili Bean Sauce – I used Lee Kum Kee Chili Bean Sauce (toban djan), which is a chili sauce with fermented soybean paste. If you can’t find this sauce, you can use sambal oelek and soybean paste. I’ve used chili oil with a black bean garlic sauce and enjoyed that combination quite bit. I keep a jar of black bean garlic sauce in the fridge specifically for that alternate version of stir-fried spicy eggplant.

Soy sauce – I used thin soy sauce (or light soy sauce), which is a thinner soy that is also lighter in color. Any soy sauce can be used for this recipe.

Stir-Fried Spicy Eggplant

Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

1 lb. Eggplant (Aubergine), peeled (if desired), cut into 1-inch cubes
3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 oz. ground pork or chicken
3 cloves of garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
1 thumb size piece of ginger, minced (about 1 ½ teaspoon)
2-3 dried red chilies or chili de arbol, soaked in hot water, de-seeded, cut into small pieces – (Optional)
2 scallions, chopped and divided into white and green parts
2 tablespoons light soy sauce or thin soy sauce
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoons rice cooking wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chili bean-sauce, like toban djan
½ teaspoon sesame oil

1. Prepare the ingredients. Make the sauce by combining the sugar, soy sauce, rice wine, rice vinegar, and chili bean sauce. Stir well and set aside.
2. Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to a wok and bring up to temperature over medium heat. Fry the cubed eggplant for 3-4 minutes until they are cooked and have softened. Transfer into a bowl.
3. Clean the wok before adding 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Once the oil is hot, add ginger, garlic, the white part of the scallions, and the dried chilies, if using. Cook until they are fragrant, about 30 seconds or so.
4. Next, add the ground pork and the sauce mixture prepared in step 1. Stir occasionally and let cook until the pork has cooked through. Add the eggplant back into the wok. Cook for another 30 seconds or so.
5. Turn off the heat. Toss in the green parts of the scallions along with the sesame oil.
6. Serve with steamed rice (or with a side of steamed vegetables for a lower carb option).