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Eggplant with Thai Basil

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I love this recipe in late summer, when the farmer's markets are full of Japanese eggplants and Thai basil. It's a sweet, gooey, savory treat that's as spicy as you want to make it and I love eggplant far too much. You can use normal European eggplant too in a pinch.  

Serve on white rice.  

 


 Ingredients

  • 1-2 eggplants depending on size, in thin slices (Japanese and European work fine, Thai would be weird)
  • 1 red bell pepper (cut into small squares)
  • 4 cloves garlic (smashed and roughly chopped)
  • Thai chilis, to taste (minced)
  • Small quantity of shallots or onions (thin sliced, optional, I like the sweet they provide)
  • Protein of your choice, pre-cooked - I've been liking baked tofu, but chicken or pork work well
  • Thai basil (to taste), remove the bigger stems and chop roughly. 

Sauce

  • 4 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar (+palm sugar if available)
  • 1 tsp dark vinegar, or white vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp fish sauce 
  • Optional: 1 Tbsp corn starch dissolved in 2 Tbsp cold water. This can be used to thicken the sauce in a more 'Chinese restaurant' style. Add this at the very end of the recipe. 

Preparation

I'm assuming you already prepared your protein. If not, go prepare some protein in a way that makes you happy. 
 
Mix the sauce. 
 
Start by cooking the eggplant with about 1 Tbsp of oil on high heat. Your goal is to brown the outside and get that browned on the outside, gooey on the inside thing, but eggplant with absorb all the oil you give it, so just add oil one Tbsp as a time as needed to prevent too much sticking. You may want to reduce heat to get it cooked through. Remove the eggplant when it's done cooking.
 
Wipe the pan if needed, or just throw in some more oil and use high heat. Cook the onions/shallots if using until they're starting to get sweet, then brown the garlic and add the chilis for a few moments. Add the red bell pepper and cook till just barely soft. Add protein. Add the basil for a few moments to wilt. Add cooked eggplant, then add sauce, cook for a few moments for flavors to absorb into everything. 
 
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