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By Sagar Shukla

Ever been to a Thai restaurant and order that delicious and fragrant garlicy, basily eggplant? Well, here is a recipe to make it at home! I always enjoyed this dish with tofu and have spent a long time figuring out how to make it as crispy as possible. Check out the specific preparation steps to ensure you can get yours crispy as well. The slight twist to this dish is the creamy mushrooms and tofu combination – the tahini sauce is a great balance to the spicy and tangy eggplant. I hope you enjoy it!

Prep & cooking time

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

  • 1 Asian Eggplant
  • 1 Package of Beech Mushrooms (or white mushrooms)
  • 1 Package of Firm tofu
  • 1 small White onion
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 1 Banana pepper
  • 1/2 cup Peanuts
  • 2 sprigs Thai basil
  • 1 sprig Cilantro (for garnish)
  • 1 cup Jasmine rice
  • 2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sesame oil (for sauce)
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha (or to taste)
  • 2 tbsp Canola oil
  • 1 tbsp Tahini paste
  • 1 tsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Miso paste (optional)
  • 2 tsp Sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup Corn starch
  • 1 tsp Salt

Method

  1. Cut the eggplant into thin diagonal cuts (about 1/2 inch thick). Soak in a bowl of water for 10 minutes and set aside. This prevents the eggplant from soaking up too much oil during cooking.
  2. Wrap tofu block in cheese cloth or paper towels, place on a plate and add weight on top, set aside. This pulls the water from the tofu so it can become extra crispy. After 10 min. remove the tofu from the cloth and cut the block into 1/2 inch squares. Oil a baking tray with canola oil, place tofu on the tray and cover every piece in cornstarch. This is an important step to create a crispy exterior. The entire surface of each piece should be covered with cornstarch. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and place tofu in the oven for 20 minutes.
  3. Chop banana pepper into slices, mince the garlic cloves, and dice the onion. Heat the pan on medium heat and add canola oil. Drain eggplant and add to the pan. After 5 minutes of cooking, add the peanuts, garlic, and onion. Whisk the sesame oil, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, and sesame seeds together in a bowl. Add to the eggplant sauté after 10 minutes of cooking. Cover the pan, adjust temperature to low heat, and let everything simmer for 10 minutes. Chop up Thai basil and add to the mixture during the final minutes of cooking. Chop up cilantro and place on top for garnish.
  4. Rinse and drain the mushrooms. Heat a pan to medium heat and cook the mushrooms for 10 minutes (no oil). This removes excess water from the mushrooms, so they do not get soggy. Once tofu is done, add all tofu to the mushroom pan. Mix tahini paste, lemon juice, and salt and add to the pan. Cook for 5 min until everything is covered in the sauce.
  5. Serve with jasmine rice!

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