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 preparing 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.
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 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.
Maple Miso Eggplant Stir Fry
Ingredients
Glazing Sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tsp. arrowroot
- 3 TB soy sauce or tamari
- 3 TB maple syrup
- 1 TB rice wine vinegar
- 1/8 tsp. white pepper
- 1 TB white miso, gluten-free is desired
- 1/2 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.
