Foodie Fridays: Eggplant Stir-Fry

I happen to love eggplant, especially the long, thin Japanese eggplant, which is less bitter, more tender, and easier to cut up than the larger Italian eggplant.  This is the time of year when Japanese eggplants are easiest to find in grocery stores, and a recipe I found recently for Eggplant Stir-Fry is an excellent way to use them.  I modified the recipe slightly by adding mushrooms and tofu, which turns it into a main dish, but these additions are of course optional.  The stri-fry sauce is quite good, and I would use it in any stir-fry dish - much better than bottled sauces!  If you love eggplant as much as I do, I highly recommend giving this recipe a try.

Eggplant Stir-Fry

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
5 tablespoons canola oil
3-4 Japanese eggplants, cut into half moons
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 scallions, very thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger from a 1 1/2 inch piece
1 block (8 oz.) firm tofu (plain or flavored), cubed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar.  Set aside.

In a large sauté pan or wok, heat 3 T. oil over high heat.  Add the eggplant and stir-fry for about 6 minutes.  Stir in the mushrooms and continue to stir-fry until the vegetables are tender, about 6-10 minutes depending upon how tender your eggplants were (add more oil as needed to soften the eggplant).  Transfer the vegetables to a plate or bowl and set aside.

Return the pan to high heat and add 2 T. oil.  Add the garlic, scallions, and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the eggplant mixture and tofu.  Add the hoisin sauce mixture and stir to coat the vegetables.

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into 3 T. water to make a slurry. Add it the pan and stir until the sauce is thickened, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with sesame seeds and additional scallions.  Serve over white, brown, or cauliflower rice.  Serves 3-4.