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Asian Eggplant Stir Fry

July 30, 2015 By Rachel 39 Comments

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asian-eggplant-stirfy

One of the vegetables that unexpectedly threw me for a loop when I first started using local produce was eggplant. I’ve cooked dozens of batches of eggplant parmesan in the past, but that was with the large, pear-shaped American variety. I was surprised when one day I got some long, skinny eggplants in my CSA box. I was like, okay… did someone forget to water these… I guess I can make eggplant parm with this… And I did, and it was good! I have since, however, smartened up in the eggplant department.

Aubergine, also known as eggplant, is actually considered a fruit. Like tomatoes, they are part of the nightshade family, and were once thought to be poisonous. In reality, the fruit is perfectly healthy to eat, but I don’t recommend making a salad out of the leaves which contain solanine. When consumed in large quantities eggplant leaves can have some pretty nasty gastrointestinal and neurologic effects. The fruit itself contains a number of vitamins and minerals, as well as phytochemicals, so, by all means, eat your eggplant with reckless abandon! One fun fact about eggplant – it contains nicotine, but in such small quantities you would have to eat approximately 20 pounds to get the same amount of nicotine found in one cigarette. That being said, it shows little promise as a healthy alternative to smoking.

There are a few dozen varieties of eggplant that originate from all different corners of the globe and they come in a plethora of shapes and colors and also a host of cooking traditions and tasty possibilities. Italy has its eggplant parmesan, France has its ratatouille, Greece has its moussaka, the Middle East has its baba ganoush, and Thailand has its curried Thai eggplant. For today’s recipe I used the long, thin, purple Japanese variety of eggplant that first threw me for a loop a few years back. When compared to the eggplant at most US grocery stores, it has a thinner skin and a sweeter, more mellow flesh. It’s perfect for making a stir fry out of because when sliced, it’s easy to pop in your mouth, and the sponge-like quality of eggplant absorbs the stir fry sauce, making for hearty pops of flavor. 

what-asian-eggplant-looks-like

This dish includes tofu for some added dinnertime protein. The secret to great tofu is pressing some of the moisture out of it before adding it to the pan so that it browns. I placed mine between two absorbent paper towels, and then pressed it with a medium-sized saucepan filled with something heavy for an hour before cooking.  If you’re not a tofu fanatic, this dish is also delicious with sautéed, cubed chicken breast.

presing-tofu

After an hour the paper towels are saturated and the tofu is ready to go.

pressed-tofu

I added a chili pepper to my pan throughout the cooking process. If you look closely you’ll see that the end is cut off. I did this so that some of the capsaicin could escape, which gently warmed the dish and kept it within acceptable spicy limits for our entire family. If you want to spice things up, you can sauté the vegetables with a finely-chopped chili pepper, including more or less seeds depending on how crazy you want it to get. But seriously, be careful and always wear gloves while cutting hot peppers!

asian-eggplant

eggplant-stirfry

bite-of-asian-eggplant

Asian Eggplant Stir Fry
 
Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
30 mins
 
Made with Japanese eggplant, this vegan stir fry is a hearty Asian meal that's popping with flavor!
Author: Rachel Hanawalt
Recipe type: Entrees
Cuisine: Asian
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb Japanese eggplant cut into ¼" medallions
  • 1 lb extra firm tofu
  • 1 C coarsely chopped green peppers
  • 1 C coarsely chopped white onion
  • 1 chili pepper with ⅛" cut off of the bottom
  • ½ C water
  • 2 Tbsp tamari
  • 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp fresh or frozen ginger, minced
  • 3 Tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp peanut oil, evenly divided
  • 1 8 oz can drained chopped water chestnuts
Instructions
  1. An hour before starting to cook, drain your tofu and place it on a plate between two super absorbent paper towels, and then place a medium saucepan on top of it. Next, fill the saucepan with something heavy. This will press much of the moisture out of the tofu so that it browns well.
  2. Cube the tofu into bite-sized pieces and prep your vegetables.
  3. In a wok or a large pan, heat ½ Tbsp peanut oil over medium heat for two minutes, and then add the tofu to the pan. Cook until the underside is browned (about 3 minutes), and then flip and cook the opposite side until it is also browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  4. Add the remaining ½ Tbsp peanut oil to the pan and heat. Next, add the eggplant, green peppers, white onions, and chili pepper to the pan. Sauté until the eggplant begins to soften, but doesn't get mushy. This will take approximately 5 minutes.
  5. While the vegetables are sautéing prep your stir fry sauce by whisking together water, tamari, low-sodium soy sauce, garlic, ginger, light brown sugar, and cornstarch in a small mixing bowl. Make sure there are no cornstarch clumps, otherwise it won't thicken correctly.
  6. Once the eggplant has finished cooking, add the water chestnuts and the simmer sauce to the pan. Cook until the water chestnuts are heated through and the sauce is simmering and thickened.
  7. Serve immediately.
Notes
Serving Suggestion: Serve with 1 C of rice cooked in 2½ C of water.
3.5.3229

asian-eggplant-stir-fry

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Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes Tagged With: Asian, Aubergine, Green Pepper, Japanese Eggplant, Stir Fry, Summer, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian, Water Chestnuts

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Comments

  1. Sarah says

    July 31, 2015 at 9:21 am

    The eggplant in that (at least I think it’s the eggplant) looks absolutely divine! The sauce looks lovely too – I wouldn’t mind having this!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      July 31, 2015 at 9:38 am

      Thanks Sarah. It’s eggplant, just of the Japanese variety. When they’re sliced they’re bite sized and perfect for using in a stir fry!

      Reply
  2. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

    July 31, 2015 at 11:53 am

    Ooohhh – Perfect timing! I’ve seen a lot of these showing up at the farmer’s market lately and this looks like the PERFECT use for them. Thanks so much for sharing! Pinned!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      July 31, 2015 at 12:57 pm

      Thanks for pinning! I just love all of the unusual vegetables to be found at local farmer’s markets!

      Reply
  3. Laura @MotherWouldKnow says

    July 31, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    I love Japanese eggplant – although I haven’t seen it in my CSA, I grab it whenever it shows up at the grocery or the farmers’ market. Your bowl of vegetables makes me want to grab my wok and get to work right now!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      July 31, 2015 at 1:08 pm

      Haha! Thanks Laura. I guess that’s part of the fun of CSAs. They’re always changing-up the produce varieties and you never really know what will be available from one season to the next until the season happens!

      Reply
  4. Melanie @ Nutritious Eats says

    July 31, 2015 at 2:44 pm

    Eggplant is my favorite in a stir fry! This looks delish. Pinning!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      July 31, 2015 at 10:02 pm

      A girl can never go wrong with a stir fry, and thanks for pinning!

      Reply
  5. Tracy @ Served From Scratch says

    July 31, 2015 at 3:25 pm

    Mmmm stir fry is like it’s own other food group to me. I love it so much – this recipe included! It looks so yummy!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      July 31, 2015 at 10:04 pm

      All things stir fry is one of my favorite go tos when I want an amazing tasting meal that doesn’t take much effort!

      Reply
  6. Sandhya says

    August 1, 2015 at 12:40 am

    mmmm…my mouth is watering looking at this! I love eggplant and this recipe looks so yummy!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 1, 2015 at 10:11 pm

      Eggplant is one of those vegetables that’s totally underrated. Thanks for the compliments!

      Reply
  7. Claudia ! Gourmet Project says

    August 1, 2015 at 6:13 am

    Thanks Rachel, I so needed an eggplant recipe… and this looks WOW!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 1, 2015 at 10:11 pm

      Claudia, I’m happy the timing was right for you on this one!

      Reply
  8. Rachel @ athletic avocado says

    August 1, 2015 at 7:36 am

    This reminds me of a spicy eggplant dish that I get at a local asian restaurant, except this is probably way healthier and tastier!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 1, 2015 at 10:11 pm

      Yup… no MSG in this one!

      Reply
  9. Shelby | Diabetic Foodie says

    August 1, 2015 at 8:17 am

    I never really liked eggplant until I discovered the Asian varieties via a CSA. Long live CSAs!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 1, 2015 at 10:13 pm

      Yeah for CSAs!

      Reply
  10. Mark says

    August 1, 2015 at 10:02 am

    Really nice job on the stir fry. Where I come from stir fry is so very popular and this looks delicious and healthy. Cheers….Mark

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 1, 2015 at 10:15 pm

      Well, it sounds like your quite the stir fry expert, so an extra big thanks for the compliment!

      Reply
  11. Patti @ CooksRecipeCollection.com says

    August 1, 2015 at 10:58 am

    Love the combination. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 1, 2015 at 10:15 pm

      Thanks Patti!

      Reply
  12. gayathri says

    August 1, 2015 at 11:24 pm

    love stir fry..Just need that bowl to finish off my dinner..

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 5, 2015 at 8:05 am

      Stir fry is the best!

      Reply
  13. swayam says

    August 2, 2015 at 2:12 pm

    Love this!! what a gorgeous dish and great use of eggplants! I think i know what to do wth the four sitting in my fridge 🙂

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 5, 2015 at 8:06 am

      If you end up making this dish, let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  14. Meg @ NomingthruLife says

    August 3, 2015 at 12:00 am

    I LOVE Asian dishes, probably because of the umami and the strength of flavor they usually have. Your dish looks wonderful too. And I’m a huge fan of water chestnuts and the crunch they give, so this one is definitely going to have to make it to my table soon 🙂

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 5, 2015 at 8:07 am

      I originally made this without the water chestnuts and something was missing. Adding the water chestnuts tied the dish together. Just needed that crunch!

      Reply
  15. Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says

    August 3, 2015 at 7:18 am

    I am always looking for new recipes that use eggplant because I always have it in my garden this time of the year. I love the Asian flavors and other veggies. This dish looks perfect for dinner!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 5, 2015 at 8:11 am

      Thanks Ashley! The idea of picking eggplant and cooking them right away sounds amazing, because they have a shorter shelf life. I got mine from my CSA and was sure to cook them the next day. If you end up making this dish, let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  16. Sara | Belly Rumbles says

    August 10, 2015 at 10:32 am

    You’re hilarious, did somebody forget to wash these!! I prefer eggplant cooked this way, in a starry, love how it soaks up all the flavours. I am a big one on pressing tofu too before using it. Bit of a tofu fan as well, therefore, loving this dish!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 12, 2015 at 11:27 am

      Thanks Sara! My grandparents, who worked in China for a few years, introduced me to tofu when I was a little kid, and I’ve been hooked since!

      Reply
  17. Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says

    August 12, 2015 at 2:14 pm

    It’s funny, I grew up on Asian eggplant and I remember I was so thrown off by the Italian version! Eggplant stir fries are definitely one of my favorite dishes. This looks beautiful!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 18, 2015 at 10:48 pm

      That is pretty funny! It’s all about perspective I guess.

      Reply
  18. Lesley says

    September 22, 2015 at 7:05 am

    wonderful vegan food just made for my daughter and her children. Easy to prepare and delicious sauce.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      September 22, 2015 at 8:33 am

      Lesley, I’m so happy to hear that this turned out well for your family. It’s so much fun hearing about when someone has enjoyed one of my recipes!

      Reply
  19. Elizabeth says

    June 22, 2019 at 11:28 am

    So happy to have found this recipe. Ironically enough, I found it because I was looking for something to do with the Japanese eggplant in this week’s CSA box. I’d never heard of them before! This recipe looks perfect because my box has the eggplant, green peppers, and onions. Clearly meant to be. I don’t have water chestnuts, thinking maybe some chopped nuts or cashews may work for a nice crunch?

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      June 22, 2019 at 9:54 pm

      Elizabeth! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe helped to solve your CSA box conundrum! I think the cashew would be a good crunch replacement in this recipe. Their flavor will pair great with the sauce and the eggplant. I have a number of recipes on this blog that use some of the more unusual CSA vegetables. As such, I hope you find Simple Seasonal to be of help again in the future!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. #FoodieFriDIY - Summer themed recipes & DIY - The Seaman Mom says:
    August 6, 2015 at 9:01 pm

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Hi, I'm Rachel! Welcome to Simple Seasonal, a resource for simple, healthful, and delicious recipes that help you make the most of seasonal produce from your local farmer's market, CSA, or home garden. Simple Seasonal is committed to a whole foods diet. With an occasional cookie... ;)


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