Savory Eggplant Stirfry

26
Feb
2009

Savory Eggplant Stirfry

categories: asian, dinner, japanese, recipes, seafood, vegan, vegetarian

Welcome to Say Yes to Salad! If you're new here and you like what you see, subscribe to my feed for updates on food, fashion, fitness, fun in NYC, and more.

I was going to make “Eggplant with Ginger and Garlic” (Wi xiang que zi) the other night, but then I realized I had no ginger and no garlic. It was a recipe from my new cookbook, the Asian Vegan Kitchen. So I made up something else, and it was very yummy.

Savory Eggplant Stirfry

Ingredients (serves 2-ish, or one Maggie who steals most of it and Bobby gets 2 bites)

3 small eggplants, chopped in cubes
1-2 teaspoons olive oil (or other cooking oil)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Asian 5-spice powder (I LOVE THIS STUFF – but you can substitute with cumin, chili powder, turmeric, or other savory spices)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or other vinegar)
2-3 teaspoons brown rice syrup (or other sweetener)
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions

Saute the eggplant cubes in a wok or saute pan. I did not use oil here, but I did spray a little bit of PAM in the wok before I added the eggplant. Saute for about 4 minutes – they should be slightly browned and tender. Set aside.
Heat the oil in your wok/saute pan. Add the scallions, onion, and spices. Saute for about 2 minutes.
Add the eggplant back into the wok. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, and brown rice syrup. Cook for another minute or two. Serve hot.

This dish is slightly sweet but savory at the same time. Bobby got a few bites, but he’s not an eggplant person so I got to have most of it. We had it with whole wheat couscous.

Check out this cool Japanese dish I made for Bobby the other night – Shrimp Tatsutaage (fried shrimp).

11 fried shrimp 300x225 Savory Eggplant Stirfry

His had calamari in it too, because I used a frozen mix of random seafood. He loved it, and it was the first time I had ever actually used my wok to deep-fry something… Actually, the first time I ever deep-fried something. Just Bento is one of my favorite blogs and I love her posts. That’s where I got the bento article from yesterday.

What was the first food blog you ever read? I think mine was Vegalicious – fabulous.

Like this post? Check out...

19 February, 2009 -- Lentils with cilantro & an interview
25 February, 2009 -- The Best Coconutty Butternutty Rice Ever
17 November, 2009 -- Favorites on both sides of the US
21 December, 2008 -- Healthy Carrot Burdock Kinpira (BSI Entry)
11 October, 2008 -- Thai Curry

30 Comments on Savory Eggplant Stirfry

FoodsThatFit
26 February, 2009 at 10:25 am (5 years ago)

I like the sounds of that cookbook! Looks like a delicious meal!!!
Biz
26 February, 2009 at 10:41 am (5 years ago)

I love freshly grated ginger! Too bad you were out.

I think the first food blog I read on a regular basis was http://www.katheats.com.

Of course, I go to http://www.pioneerwomancooks.com for her awesome photography and writing style and seeing her “punks!”
Yasmin
26 February, 2009 at 11:01 am (5 years ago)

My first blogs to read were Self’s Eat Like Me and Kath Eats Real Food…been addicted ever since.
Danielle
26 February, 2009 at 11:24 am (5 years ago)

What a great meal, I have an eggplant in my fridge but wanted to try something new, I might have to try this.
I think the first food blog I read was Jenna’s eat live run.
coco
26 February, 2009 at 11:44 am (5 years ago)

delicious stir-fry eggplant! I have a special recipe for eggplant called yu xiang qie zi (made with pork eggplant and chilis) The only problem usually with eggplants is that they absorb a lot of oil! So, a healthy way to prepare it would be steaming it and make a sauce for topping.
hahha…..too many cooking talk!
I went to Just Bento and liked it a lot, thanks for the link.
The first blog that I read was Carrot n Cake.
Shelby
26 February, 2009 at 12:14 pm (5 years ago)

This sounds really good, I’m saving it for sure.
I think half the recipes I save to make are from your blog haha
Julie
26 February, 2009 at 1:01 pm (5 years ago)

I think the first food blog I ever read was Jenna’s Eat, Live, Run. I deffinitely wanna try that eggplant stir-fry..I’m such a big stirfryer but I never know what to stirfry things in!
Leng
26 February, 2009 at 1:48 pm (5 years ago)

First blog I’ve read was on Self.com: Eat Like Me, then someone mentioned Katheatsrealfood.com, then it eventually blew up after that, what you see on my blogroll is not all. I have a bunch more on my google reader. there’s not enough time in the world to read them all.
Mara @ What's For Dinner?
26 February, 2009 at 1:49 pm (5 years ago)

That stir fry looks awesome! My first food blog was Beadie’s “What I Ate Yesterday” but I soon became hooked!
Julz
26 February, 2009 at 2:07 pm (5 years ago)

Eat Like Me

OLD SKOOL YO.

[PS] Maggie, come visit meeeeeeee <333 Love you boo!
Erin
26 February, 2009 at 3:02 pm (5 years ago)

This looks amazing! I love your meals!
Marian eats. The Italian way
26 February, 2009 at 3:07 pm (5 years ago)

As usual , the food looks fabulous! Have a great Rest of the day:)
Erin
26 February, 2009 at 3:13 pm (5 years ago)

Yummy – so good.
One of my first and still a TOTAL FAVE was Happy Herbivore!
Michelle
26 February, 2009 at 3:25 pm (5 years ago)

What a neat cookbook you have there! I’m definitely loving that eggplant recipe and will be posssiiibly if i’m not too lazy, trying out an eggplant stirfry this weekend!! AWESOME post!!
K
26 February, 2009 at 3:53 pm (5 years ago)

Fabulous stir fry!! First blog I read: Eat Like Me and then Kath Eats and Carrots ‘n Cake
Liz
26 February, 2009 at 5:03 pm (5 years ago)

It was The Pioneer Woman Cooks, and it was just before the Fourth of July in 2007.
NAOmni
26 February, 2009 at 5:47 pm (5 years ago)

You should check out this eggplant dip I’m posting about on my blog. It can also be found at Sea Salt with Food. It will be up in a few minutes.

NAOmni
Sagan
26 February, 2009 at 6:04 pm (5 years ago)

Huge huge love for shrimp and calamari. Eggplant, not so much… yet. I’m working on it!
Pearl
26 February, 2009 at 6:37 pm (5 years ago)

Stir fry is always mmm!
Jenni
26 February, 2009 at 6:59 pm (5 years ago)

i am so in love with you food these days! this stirfry looks absolutely visionary that cookbook sounds amazing, too, since i love asian food and i don’t like having to deal with cooking meat

also, your coconut butternut rice looks gorgeous! what a great thing to pull you out of your food rut!
VeggieGirl
26 February, 2009 at 7:21 pm (5 years ago)

GARLIC?!?!??! Yes, please!!
Sharon
26 February, 2009 at 8:22 pm (5 years ago)

Oh wow, that looks scrumptious!
Lara
27 February, 2009 at 4:44 am (5 years ago)

First blog was Eat Like Me. In fact, it was the only blog I read for about a year before I realized there were so many others! When I first started my blog, I hadn’t even read Kath’s blog. When I finally found it, her blogroll led me to all these other fabulous ones Fun question!
Dori
27 February, 2009 at 8:02 am (5 years ago)

Oh wow the stirfry looks amazing!! I miss eggplant
For the Love of Peanut Butter
27 February, 2009 at 6:56 pm (5 years ago)

dont even GET me started on eggplant–i should change my blog name…I LOVE IT!
Kerri
9 March, 2009 at 2:15 am (5 years ago)

It was delicious. The sauce was perfect. I added cauliflower and bok choy since I only had 1 eggplant.
Katie
13 September, 2009 at 2:04 pm (4 years ago)

Oh my gosh. Oh my GOSH. I think my tastebuds just fainted.

I LOVE eggplant!!! I don’t understand how/why it is that so many people detest it. TJ’s used to have an amazing premade salad (in one of those little plastic boxes) that was grilled eggplant and feta. It was my FAVORITE and so flavorful. It got me through many tough afternoons in college. Then they discontinued it. It was a sad, sad day…..