Happy Happy Birthday to my friends, Duong and Cees! I hope you both had a wonderful day whether you were working or lounging around the house. I would have baked you guys a cake but I doubt you would be interested in a vegan cake. :)
It was another busy day of work so I hardly had time to cook a nice dinner for hubby. I figured I would whip up a quick stir fry to serve with some brown rice. This dish is tangy, sweet and spicy! You can omit the chili peppers if it's too much spice for you to handle. I think that one pepper has just enough spice. I absolutely love eggplants! I don't think hubby has ever had eggplant before he met me and I'm so glad he is easy to please. I think my mum has mentioned that it would be easy to cook for him too.
Spicy Garlic Eggplant and Tofu
Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of oil
- 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
- 1 large eggplant sliced into one inch pieces
- 8 ounces of fried tofu cut into one inch pieces
- 1/2 cup of chopped red bell peppers
- 10 basil leaves
- 1 thai red chili pepper minced
- 1 tablespoon vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce
- 3 teaspoons tamari
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons agave syrup
- Fry tofu until golden brown and set aside
- Mix together vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce, tamari, apple cider vinegar, agave syrup in a bowl and place aside
- In a heated wok, add oil and stir in garlic until fragrant
- Add eggplant and stir fry for about 5 minutes so that it is lightly softened
- Add tofu, bell peppers, basil leaves, thai chili pepper and sauce mixture from step two
- Stir fry for about 3 minutes until sauce is coated over all ingredients
- Serve with brown rice and enjoy
Hello Linda, This recipe sounds sooo yummy. The Tofu that you mention how much oil do we use to fry up the tofu, or can we buy it already cooked.
ReplyDeleteHi there!
ReplyDeleteYou can can purchase fried tofu at some stores but it's always best to fry the tofu at home. Depending on how deep your skillet or pan is, I would recommend adding about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup or just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
1. Add oil and turn on heat to high for about one minute. The oil should start smoking slightly. Turn heat down to medium on the stove so you can start adding tofu to the pan with some metal tongs or chopsticks.
2. Depending on the heat of your stove, it may take anywhere from 5 to 7 minutes for the tofu to turn golden brown so I suggest for you to watch the stove so the tofu doesn't burn. Once one side turns golden brown, flip tofu to the other side and fry for about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Have a dish ready and line with some paper towels. Make sure you keep the paper towel far enough from the stove so it doesn't burn. I know it sounds silly to mention but I've seen many accidents in the kitchen for the past couple decades. As each tofu turns golden brown on each side, you may use your metal tongs to place fried tofu on the dish and the paper towels should soak up the excess oil.
Let me know if you have any more questions!