I had no idea what I wanted to make for supper but knew that I wanted to use the eggplant that I had in my fridge. I also knew that I didn’t want to make my usual eggplant dishes so I went searching…
I was looking for something salty and sweet and tangy with a bit of heat. I found an obscure recipe that gave me an idea and decided to figure something out and this is what I came up with…
Szechwan Eggplant and Cauliflower on rice..
It was so delicious!! I liked eggplant, but I never knew how much I actually love eggplant!!
So it started… first I sauteed some cubed eggplant (1 whole large eggplant) in the wok with a bit of peanut oil… I didn’t stir too much, and didn’t crowd the pan as I wanted the eggplant to get a nice caramelized colour..
Then I saw that even a whole eggplant doesn’t make too much… so then entered the cauliflower…
I put the eggplant aside, chopped up a head of cauliflower and then did a few batches the same way in the wok as I did the eggplant… You don’t want to overcook the cauliflower though, a bit of crunch adds so much to the dish alongside the soft texture of the eggplant..
In the meantime I put together the sauce… I made it up a bit as I went along so the measurements are approximative and you might need to adjust as you see fit…
In a bowl mix together
- 1/2 cup stock
- 5 tbsp garlic
- Black bean garlic sauce (or chili bean paste)
- 4 tbsp of tamari
- 2 tbs of rice vinegar
- 5 tsp sugar
- 6 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp of ginger
Put the cauliflower aside, add some chopped onion to the wok and stir-fry until translucent. Add the sauce, bring to a boil and then add a bit of a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Adjust seasonings if needed…
Once thickened, add the cooked eggplant and cauliflower to the sauce and stir…
Serve over rice with some green onions on top… or even just on its own… it is just that good…
