SOY GLAZED EGGPLANT
I am a sucker for the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables in summer and the colors and textures it adds to my food! I had fun with eggplant this week, which has an unusual, nearly meaty texture. Then I applied a short soy glaze which I’ve previously used to make legs of chicken (see Sticky Ginger Soy Glazed Chicken), and it turned out flawlessly. The Soy Glazed Eggplant is an easy and quick vegetarian meal for your weeknights and can also be prepared for meals the following week. Like most stir fry recipes, this one is quite adaptable, so I’ll share some suggestions below!
MAKE IT SPICY OR MILD
It’s a recipe that’s Soy Glazed. as described below is not spicy (without the optional topping of sriracha mayo); however, you could quickly transform it into a spicy stir-fry in case you prefer. Add one or two tablespoons of chili garlic or sriracha sauce to the soy glaze mix, and you’re ready to go. Add a handful of chopped red pepper flakes to the final dish.
MAKE IT VEGAN
This Soy-Glazed Eggplant is entirely vegan. However, I served mine with Sriracha mayo. If you’d like to skip the mayo and make the entire bowl vegan, consider adding a handful of avocado or using vegan mayo if you already have it. The creamy topping does a fantastic job of neutralizing the salty and sweet flavors in The Soy Glazed Eggplant and truly makes the bowls go to a new level.
SHOULD I USE FRESH OR DRIED GINGER?
I usually always use fresh ginger for my cooking as it has a distinct flavor that differs from dried ginger. If you have a small amount of ginger in the freezer, there will be fresh ginger on the counter, and it’s easy to grate on an ice grater after it’s been frozen. If you’re using dried ginger, I recommend using 1/2 to 1 teaspoon and adjusting it according to your taste.
HOW TO SERVE SOY-GLAZED EGGPLANT
I served mine with brown rice, then topped it with sliced green onions and a drizzle of Sriracha mayo. You can also do it by adding noodles (add cooked noodles to the skillet and mix with the glazed eggplant) and adding something green to the side, such as snow peas or broccoli.
Soy Glazed Eggplant
One eggplant (5-6 cups cubed) ($1.29)
2 TBSP olive oil ($0.24)
1/4 cup soy sauce ($0.48)
3/4 cup of brown sugar ($0.16)
Two cloves of garlic, chopped ($0.16)
1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated ($0.30)
Optional for Serving
1/2 cup peanuts chopped ($0.12)
Two onions with greens cut ($0.23)
4 cups cooked rice ($0.60)
2 Tbsp mayonnaise* ($0.17)
1 Tbsp sriracha* ($0.11)
INSTRUCTIONS
The eggplant can be cut into cubes of 3/4 inch. The easiest method is to cut the eggplant into slices of 3/4 inches and then lay the pieces flat before cutting them into 1/4-inch squares.
Pour the olive oil into the large skillet over medium. Once the skillet is hot, swirl oil until it coats the entire surface of the pan, and then add the cubes of eggplant. The eggplant cubes are cooked by stirring frequently until they soften (about 10 minutes). If the eggplant becomes stuck in the skillet, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan to loosen the eggplant.
While the eggplant cooks while the eggplant is cooking, make the soy-ginger glaze. Combine the soy sauce, minced garlic, brown sugar, and ginger in one bowl.
When the eggplant is cooked when it is soft, add the glaze of ginger and soy, making sure you scrape any sugar that might be settling on at the top of the bowl. Continue stirring and cooking on the pan, melting brown bits from the bottom for approximately 5 minutes.
Decorate the eggplant with sliced peanuts, chopped peanuts, and green onion before serving. Serve the dish over warm rice with a drizzle of Sriracha mayonnaise.
