Made with Japanese eggplant, this vegan stir-fry is a hearty Asian meal that's popping with flavor! If you want to spice things up in this recipe, 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.

Asian Eggplant Stir-Fry [Vegan]

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Calories

163

Serves

4

Cooking Time

30

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Ingredients

  • 1-pound Japanese eggplant cut into ¼" medallions
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped green peppers
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped white onion
  • 1 chili pepper with ⅛" cut off of the bottom
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh or frozen ginger, minced
  • 3 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil, evenly divided
  • 1 8-ounce can drained chopped water chestnuts
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Preparation

  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 tablespoon 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 tablespoon 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, 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 cup of rice cooked in 2½ cups of water.

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Nutritional Information

Per Serving: Calories: 163 | Carbs: 31.2 g | Fat: 3.8 g | Protein: 4 g | Sodium: 661 mg | Sugar: 18 g Note: The information shown is based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.