This eggplant stir-fry is loaded with flavor and easy to make! Made with tender eggplant and bell peppers in garlicky hoisin sauce, it pairs up perfectly with rice for a delicious veggie-packed meal.
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons chilled water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Chinese 5-spice
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided, plus more as needed (up to 5 tablespoons total)
- 1 pound eggplant (Note 1), diced into roughly 1-inch pieces
- 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into roughly ½ inch pieces
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Cooked rice, for serving
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Whisk the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, water, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sambal oelek, sesame oil, cornstarch, and 5 spice together in a small bowl.
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Coat the bottom of a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil and place it over medium-high heat.
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Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the diced eggplant in an even layer. Avoid crowding the skillet and cook the eggplant in batches if needed, adding oil to the skillet between batches if it dries up.
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Cook the eggplant for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender, flipping the pieces only once or twice to get browning on multiple sides.
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Remove the eggplant from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
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Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet.
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Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the white parts of your scallions to the skillet, along with the garlic and ginger.
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Sauté everything briefly, for about 1 minute, until very fragrant.
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Raise the heat to high and add the bell pepper to the skillet. Stir fry the pepper for about 2 minutes, until bright red and tender crisp.
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Lower the heat to medium and carefully pour the sauce into the skillet (Note 2). Toss the ingredients to coat the veggies in sauce and cook everything for 30 to 60 seconds, until the sauce thickens.
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Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the basil. Top the stir-fry with sesame seeds and the green parts of your scallions.
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Serve with rice.
- Japanese or Chinese eggplant are the preferred varieties for this recipe, but any variety will do.
- Use caution, as the sauce can easily sputter when it hits the hot surface.
- Nutrition information does not include rice.