Szechuan-Style Eggplant (Vegan and Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Vegetables
3 Chinese eggplants
2 green onions
2 cloves of garlic
Sauce
0.25 cups of water
0.5 tbs of cornstarch
1 tsp black bean garlic sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce (can be vegetarian, mushroom “oyster” sauce)
0.5 chiankiang vinegar
0.5 tbs agave
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs of chili oil
10 szechuan peppercorns
Canola oil for pan-frying
Preparation
Slice eggplant into 2-inch segments then quarter.
Soak eggplants in a bowl of salt water for 15-25 minutes then drain.
While the eggplant is soaking, chop the garlic and the whites of the green onion. Slice the greens of the onions separately from the whites.
Whisk the sauce together.
Sprinkle the eggplant with cornstarch and fry in canola oil on medium-high heat until soft and browned. You should have enough oil to coat a thin layer along the bottom of the pan and should fry the eggplant in batches so each piece makes contact with the pan. Load eggplant onto a plate that is covered with a paper towel in the meantime.
Add a splash of oil, if there isn't any remaining on the now empty pan, and cook the the szechuan peppercorn, garlic, and onions on medium heat until fragrant and golden.
Set the temperature to the lowest possible heat and add the eggplant back to the pan. Immediately pour the sauce into the pan and cook for a minute or so, if necessary, to heat everything back up. If you did all these steps without disruption, the pan should still be hot from the first step and the sauce will thicken on contact.
Top with the green onion slices and serve.
Annalise