Maple Miso Eggplant Stir Fry is quick and fabulously tasty. It's sweet and savory with a kick of garlic and optional spicy chili oil.
Maple miso glaze wraps the silky cooked eggplant in a blanket of deliciousness. Even though it's a no-hassle preparation, you end up with an impressive and elegant side dish or entree.
When I am going to fry ordinary purple globe eggplant, I often salt the eggplant and drain it before cooking. That way, the eggplant cooks up moist and tender without absorbing oil or cooking unevenly. I also like to peel my eggplant, depending on how tough the skin is.
However, with this recipe, there isn't any need to take extra steps to prepare the eggplant. Simply choose a Japanese or Asian variety. As long as the finger-shaped fruit is young, the skin will be tender enough to leave intact. Plus, the flesh will fry beautifully.
Varieties of eggplant
Did you know that botanically speaking eggplant is a berry and comes in hundreds of sizes, shapes, and colors? We all know the classic aubergine globe that's found most often in American markets.
But Ping Tung Taiwanese is the eggplant I grew in my garden and used for this succulent stir fry. Why I have even seen my garden neighbors grow yellow and white eggplant. Just take a look at a tiny sample of eggplant shapes and colors available at Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.
It's amazing how varied and exotic eggplant can look. Finding a Japanese type variety at the grocery store should seem easy by comparison, right?
Pair your Maple Miso Eggplant Stir Fry with a simple bowl of steamed rice or go all out and add more dishes to create a Chinese feast. Either way, this splendid eggplant dish is your friend.
More side dish recipes
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📖 Recipe
Maple Miso Eggplant Stir Fry
Ingredients
Glazing Sauce
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp. arrowroot
- 3 TB soy sauce or tamari
- 3 TB maple syrup
- 1 TB rice wine vinegar
- ⅛ tsp. white pepper
- 1 TB white miso, gluten-free is desired
- ½ tsp. toasted sesame oil
Eggplant
- 1 lb. Japanese eggplant
- 2 tsp. avocado or neutral oil
- 2 cloves finely minced garlic
Garnish
- hulled sesame seeds
- toasted sesame oil with red chili flakes
Instructions
- Mix glazing sauce ingredients together in a blender until smooth and put aside.
- Slice whole eggplants diagonally into 2 inch pieces. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet or wok. Add oil and stir fry eggplant with a sprinkle of salt. Cook over medium to medium high heat until eggplant is lightly browned and can be pierced with a fork, but is still firm.
- Stir minced garlic into eggplant and cook a few seconds until fragrant but take care not to burn. Briefly re-blend glazing sauce mixture and add to pan. Bring to a quick boil so sauce thickens. Remove eggplant from heat.
- Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and drizzle with hot chili oil to taste.
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