Author Notes: My daughter doesn’t like stir fries, and my son does. My daughter doesn’t like eggplant (too bitter) and my son does. This dish passed the test for both children, because the eggplant is sweet with brown sugar, salty with soy sauce, spicy with ginger and garlic and fragrant with leeks. It’s good with brown rice. I use a Japanese short grain new crop brown rice on weekdays since it cooks up fast and everyone likes it. —luvcookbooks
Serves: 4
Ingredients
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6
tablespoons grapeseed oil
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1-2 inch piece of ginger, minced or grated
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4
garlic cloves, sliced
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4
leeks, cleaned and sliced
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2
teaspoons garlic=chili paste
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6
small Chinese eggplants, roll cut
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10
ounces sliced mushrooms
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3
tablespoons soy sauce
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3
tablespoons rice wine
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2
tablespoons water
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1
teaspoon toasted sesame oil
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handful minced cilantro leaves
Directions
- Heat a heavy saute pan over medium high heat until a drop of water sizzles and disappears on contact. Pour in 2-3 tablespoons of grapeseed oil and stir fry the garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds. Add the leeks and chili-garlic sauce, then the eggplant. Stir fry, adding a little more oil as needed, until the eggplant skin browns and the eggplant is softening, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, dribbling in more oil as needed (don’t add too much or the whole dish will become oily) and stir until softened.
- Mix soy sauce, rice wine and water. Some people add cornstarch but I like the thin sauce better and I’m in a hurry. Pour over the vegetable mixture, stir, and heat until the sauce bubbles. Turn down the heat to medium low, cover, and cook for about 8 minutes. Check to be sure the vegetables are not sticking and add a little more water if you need to but you don’t want it to be soupy.
- When the eggplant (your rate limiting vegetable) is soft, turn the heat off. Sprinkle over the toasted sesame oil and the cilantro leaves and stir again. You’re done! Serve with brown rice. I don’t drink on weekdays usually but I think beer would be very nice with this dish.
