Szechuan Eggplant And Veggie Stir Fry Recipes

SICHUAN EGGPLANT STIR FRY (鱼香茄子)

Steps:

• Chop eggplant into long sticks of about 2-inch (5-cm) long and 1/4-inch (6-mm) thick.
• Place eggplant in a large bowl and add water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon salt, mix well. Place a pot lid on top to keep the eggplant under water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
• Add all the sauce ingredients into a bowl. Stir to mix well.
• Sprinkle eggplant with cornstarch and mix by hand, until eggplant is evenly coated with with a thin layer of cornstarch.
• Add oil to a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium high heat until hot. Spread eggplant across the bottom of the skillet without overlapping (you might need to cook in 2 or 3 batches). Fry the eggplant one side at a time until all the surfaces are charred and the eggplant turns soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining batch(es) with the same method. If the skillet gets too hot and starts to smoke, turn to medium heat.
• Once the eggplant is all cooked, remove the pan from the stove. Drain extra oil and only leave 1 tablespoon in the pan by pouring the oil into a heatproof bowl, or wipe the pan with a few layers of paper towels attached to the front end of a pair of tongs.
• Add the Sichuan peppercorns into the pan. Cook over medium heat until the peppercorns turn dark brown. Remove them with a spatula and transfer to a small bowl (*Footnote 3). Add the pork. Cook and chop with your spatula, until separated into small bits and cooked through. Add green onion, garlic, ginger, and dried chili peppers. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
• Stir the sauce again to completely dissolve the cornstarch, then pour into the pan. Stir until the sauce thickens. Return the eggplant to the pan and quickly stir to mix everything well.
• Turn to the lowest heat and taste the sauce (be careful, it will be very hot!) Adjust flavor by sprinkling a bit more salt or sugar, if needed. Turn to medium heat and mix well again. Transfer everything to a plate immediately.
• Serve hot over steamed rice as a main.

SZECHUAN EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch thick half-moons or into bite-sized pieces ( see photos). Place in a big bowl covered with water and stir in 2 teaspoons salt. Cover with a plate and let stand 20-30 minutes.
• In the meantime, chop the garlic and ginger and make the Szechuan Sauce.
• To make the Szechuan Sauce: Toast the Szechuan peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Crush. Place these along with the remaining ingredients ( soy, chili paste, sesame oil, rice vinegar, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, and five spice) in a small bowl and whisk. Set by the stove.
• Drain and rinse the eggplant and pat dry with a towel. Toss with the corn starch.
• heat 1 -2 tablespoons oil in an extra-large skillet over medium heat. Add half the eggplant spreading them out. You want to get both sides nice and golden, and the insides cooked through -so take your time here and dont rush this step. Let one side brown then turn them over using tongs. This will take about 10 minutes for each batch. ( If in a hurry sometimes I'll use 2 pans.) Set the eggplant aside.
• Add 1 more tablespoon oil to the skillet, and over medium heat, add the garlic and ginger, stirring for 2 minutes. Turn the fan on, add the dried chilis and stir one minute. Pour the Szechuan sauce into the pan and bring to a simmer for 20 seconds. Add the eggplant back into the skillet, tossing gently for about 1 minute. If it seems dry add a tablespoon of water to loosen.
• Place in a serving dish and top with scallions and optional peanuts.
• Serve with rice, cauliflower rice, black rice or rice noodles.

SZECHUAN SPICY EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Remove the eggplant stem and cut into 1-inch cubes. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, chicken stock, chili sauce, sugar, ground black pepper and oyster sauce. Stir together well and set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, and set aside.
• Coat a large, deep pan with cooking spray over high heat and allow a few minutes for it to get very hot. Saute the garlic, half of the green onions, ginger and dried shrimp, if using (see Cook's Note) for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until they begin to brown. Stir in the ground beef or pork and cook for 3 more minutes, again stirring constantly, until browned.
• Pour the eggplant into the pan and stir all together. Pour the reserved soy sauce mixture over all, cover the pan, reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you're using fresh shrimp, add it during the last few minutes of cooking. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and let heat until thickened. Finally, stir in the rest of the green onions and the sesame oil.
• Serve over hot rice.

SZECHUAN EGGPLANT AND VEGGIE STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Sprinkle the eggplant slices with a couple tablespoons of salt and let rest 15 minutes. Rinse pieces in lukewarm water.
• Add black pepper and cornstarch to eggplant and toss together to coat the eggplant.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet, and add the eggplant until they get soft and brownish (approx 10 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside. (You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your skillet.).
• Steam broccoli, red pepper, onions, and cauliflower until slightly al dente.
• While the veggies are steaming, heat 1 tbsp oil in skillet and add shallots and green chilies. Cook for a couple minutes, then add Szechuan sauce.
• Add the eggplant and the veggies, and cook through, 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped peanuts.

SZECHUAN VEGETABLE STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Start by preparing and cutting all the vegetables and measuring your ingredients so that they are ready to go. Once you begin stir-frying, it goes very quickly.
• In a wok or large saute pan, heat canola oil over high heat to almost smoking. While stirring constantly, 1 at a time, add in the peppers and onions, followed by the squash, zucchini, eggplant, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and teriyaki sauce. Cook for about 2 minutes and then add in the remaining ingredients and seasonings, except for the snow peas. Cook about 2 minutes more. Stir in snow peas when done and remove from heat. Serve immediately garnished with kimchee, if desired.

CRISPY SZECHUAN-STYLE EGGPLANT AND TOFU

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, combine 2/3 cup of the cornstarch, the salt and pepper. Toss the eggplant pieces in the cornstarch mixture to coat, shaking off the excess; set aside. Repeat the process with the tofu.
• Heat 1/2 inch of the peanut oil in a large, deep, straight-sided skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Working in batches, cook the eggplant first, tossing gently until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and the tofu.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, lime juice and remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch.
• Carefully drain the oil from the skillet, and wipe out any residue using paper towels held with tongs. Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil to the skillet and heat it over medium heat. Add the ginger, about 1 teaspoon of the minced chiles (or to taste) and the garlic. Cook, stirring, until just fragrant, about 30 seconds; pour in the chicken stock mixture and bring it to a simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the cooked eggplant and tofu to the skillet and toss gently to combine. Stir in the sesame oil and remove from the heat. Serve immediately over rice and garnished with the remaining minced chiles if desired and chopped cilantro.

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.