Eggplant Mapo Tofu
Notes for the cook: Ingredients can be found at any Asian market. You can just buy ONE type of eggplant or you can use a mixture of both as indicated below.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 to 3 fresh cloves of garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 2 to 3 green onions finely diced (white and green parts)+ more for garnish
- 2 to 3 tablespoons spicy black bean paste or hot bean sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns ground
- 1/3 cup spicy bean sauce + more if needed as shown above
- 14 ounce container of silken tofu drained and cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup Chinese eggplant cubed
- 1/2 cup eggplant cubed
- Serve with cooked white or brown rice
Instructions
- Using a small mixing bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, cornstarch, soy sauce and sugar. Set aside.
- Using your skillet over medium high heat, add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger and green onions and cook until fragrant, for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the hot bean paste, ground Sichuan pepper and spicy bean sauce. Taste and adjust ingredients according to your taste. Continue sautéing for a few more minutes, or until heated through.
- Add the tofu and the eggplant and stir together gently so that the tofu and eggplant gets nicely coated with the sauce. Add more spicy bean sauce if needed.
- Whisk together the chicken stock mixture again and then pour it over the tofu and eggplant. Toss gently to coat, and let cook until the sauce thickens, for about 5 to 6 minutes. You can turn up the heat a bit if needed.
- Serve with white or brown rice and garnish with diced green onions.