Basil Garlic Stir Fry Thai Eggplant Food

JAPANESE EGGPLANT WITH CHICKEN & THAI BASIL

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, massage the chicken with 2 tablespoons of water until it is completely absorbed, and add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch until well incorporated. Set aside.
• Heat your wok over medium-high heat and coat it with 2 tablespoons of oil. Spread the eggplant out evenly in the wok, and let sear with the cover on the wok for 2 minutes. Remove the cover, turn the eggplant pieces over, and pour another tablespoon of oil around the perimeter. Cover the wok, and turn heat to medium-low for another 2 minutes until the eggplant is just tender. Next, raise the heat to high to cook the eggplant to a golden brown color--another 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to your wok and heat until just smoking. Add the marinated chicken, and spread it around the wok. Let it sear for 30 to 60 seconds (depending upon your burner capacity) on each side. Remove from the wok and set aside.
• With the wok over high heat, add another tablespoon of oil, the garlic, the white parts of the scallions, and the basil. Stir fry for 30 seconds, and add the eggplant and chicken.
• Next, add the Shaoxing wine, and stir everything together. Add the fish sauce, sugar, soy sauces, sesame oil, and white pepper, and stir until everything is combined--about a minute. Next, add the green portion of the scallions.
• Pour the chicken stock around the perimeter of the wok to deglaze it. Stir fry until everything is well-combined, and most of the liquid has been absorbed by other ingredients. Serve with steamed jasmine rice!

SZECHWAN EGGPLANT STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Cut the eggplants in 1/2 lengthwise and then slice crosswise into wedges, no more than 1-inch wide.
• Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high flame and add the oils; tilt the pan to coat all sides. When you see a slight smoke, add a layer of eggplant, stir-fry until seared and sticky, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the eggplant to a side platter and cook the remaining eggplant in same manner, adding more oil, if needed.
• After all the eggplant is out of the pan, add the green onions, ginger, garlic, and chile; stir-fry for a minute until fragrant. Add the broth. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the wok and cook another minute, until the sauce has thickened. Put the eggplant back in the pan, tossing quickly, until the sauce is absorbed. Garnish with sesame seeds, Thai basil, and cilantro and serve.

THAI BASIL EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add chile and garlic; cook and stir until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add eggplants to the fragrant garlic oil. Stir in water and cover. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until eggplants soften, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Uncover and stir in soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Stir well and continue cooking until all the water has evaporated and eggplant is coated with sauce, about 5 minutes. Add basil leaves and stir once; remove from heat.

STIR-FRIED CHICKEN AND EGGPLANT WITH THAI BASIL

Steps:

• Salt the eggplant generously and leave in a colander to sweat for 15 to 30 minutes, while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Rinse and drain on a clean kitchen towel.
• Place the garlic in a mortar with 1/4 teaspoon salt and mash to a paste. Add the ginger and chiles, and continue to mash with the garlic. In another small bowl, mix together the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a large, heavy skillet or wok over high heat, until a drop of water evaporates immediately upon contact. Add 1 tablespoon oil, turn the heat down to medium-high, and add the garlic paste. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, and add the chicken. Stir-fry for three to four minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and no traces of pink remain. Transfer from the pan or wok to a plate or bowl.
• Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the eggplant. Cook, stirring, until the eggplant is lightly browned and almost cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir the chicken back into the pan, and add the fish and soy sauce mixture. Add 1/4 cup water, cover the wok or pan, turn the heat down to medium and steam for five minutes. Uncover, and stir in the basil leaves. Stir for 30 seconds to a minute, remove from the heat and serve with rice.

EGGPLANT THAI STIR FRY

Steps:

• Mix the seasonings in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and set aside.
• Rinse and dry the eggplant and cut off stems; don't peel. Quarter them lengthwise and cut each quarter into 2-inch wedges. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch with the water and sesame oil. Set aside.
• Heat a large, heavy skillet(or wok) over high heat for 30 seconds. Add the olive oil with the chili-pepper oil(or red pepper flakes), swirl, and heat for 30 seconds. Throw in the garlic, ginger, and scallions and stir rapidly for 15 seconds.
• Add the eggplant wedges and stir with a spatula in flipping and gentle pressing motions for 2-5 minutes to expose them to the oil.
• Turn heat down to medium high and continue to turn and press lightly for 4-7 more minutes, until the wedges are slightly browned and flattened. Don't press them hard, or they might break and become messy.
• Turn the heat back up to high. Give the seasonings a stir and pour over the eggplant. Stir in scooping and lifting motions for about 30 seconds; give the cornstarch mixture a stir and add to the sauce. Cook to desired doneness.
• Toss quickly, then place into a hot serving dish. Enjoy!
• Makes 3 to 4 servings.

EGGPLANT & BASIL STIR FRY

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook rice noodles 2-4 minutes (or as directed on the package), till tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 Celsius cooking water.
• Slice eggplant in half lengthwise, then quarter each piece lengthwise again. Slice horizontally into 1/2" planks (they'll be roughly 1/2" by 1" pieces). You may peel the eggplant first if you don't like the skin.
• Remove stems and roughly chop basil leaves (so they're bite size--if they are all small, no need to chop).
• In a large wok, heat oil til it smokes. Toss in garlic and peppers and stir fry till fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add eggplant, basil, & bean sprouts and stir fry till tender, about 3 minutes.
• While eggplant cooks, whisk soy sauce, mirin, peanut butter, and reserved pasta water together into a thin sauce.
• Once eggplant is tender, remove wok from flame, toss in noodles and sauce and stir briefly to coat. Serve.