Eggplant with Tamarind Sauce

Call me crazy....it was pretty hot and humid today. I really didn't feel like going out of the house. So what did I do? I stir-fried. What the heck was I thinking?

Anyway, I used basically the same technique as my Spicy Chinese-style Eggplant, but went for more of a Thai inspired dish. In other words, totally lost for ideas, I found stuff around the kitchen and went for it.......

Two types of chilies and chili paste brings the heat. Palm sugar, white sugar, and the red bell peppers add sweet. Soy Sauce and Fish Sauce add the umami saltiness. Garlic and onions add depth of flavor. The kaffir lime leaves and cilantro give this a definite Southeast Asian touch. And the sour and tangy tamarind paste tops it off. I'm looking at this as a nice starting point and will add to the recipe in the future......

It turned out rather well. I actually measured stuff out initially as I made things. There are three acts to this play.....

Eggplant with Tamarind Sauce:

First the Tamarind Sauce:
4 Tb tamarind pulp or concentrate
2-3 Tb palm sugar
2 Tb premium soy sauce
3 Tb fish sauce
2 Tb sambal olek

- Combine all ingredients and let sit

Then prep everything you'll need for parts 1 & 2 below:

Part 1:
2-3 medium sized Chinese Eggplant cut into 1/3 inch dice
3 dried red chilies seeded
Dash of white pepper
2 Tb White sugar
2 Tb Shaoxing Wine
2-3 Tb premium soy sauce
3 Tb canola or grapeseed oil

Part 2:
1/2 large red bell pepper diced
1/2 medium onion diced
5 kaffir lime leaves thinly sliced
4-6 Thai Chilies Sliced
6 cloves of garlic minced
2 Tb canola or grapeseed oil
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro

- In a hot wok heat first 3 tb of oil add dried chilies to scald
- Add eggplant, white pepper, and sugar, and stir fry
- Add Shaoxing and stir fry
- When eggplant starts to dry out, add soy sauce to moisten a tablespoon at a time
- When the eggplant has browned and is cooked through, remove to a plate and start Part2

- Allow wok to come back up to temperature and add oil
- Quickly add kaffir lime leaves and Thai Chilies, stir fry until fragrant, about 10-15 seconds
- Add red bell pepper and stir fry to coat and let soften slightly
- Add garlic and stir fry. Do not allow garlic to burn
- Add onion and stir fry
- Return eggplant back to wok and combine well.
- Add sauce, combine, bring up to temp, and remove from heat
- Add the chopped cilantro, saving a few tablespoons for garnish

Looks like a lot, but things go pretty quickly. In fact, I even made some chili-garlic shrimp as well. Didn't even use the Big Kahuna.

Interesting thing was.....that I felt a lot less sluggish after making this....dunno why....

So, did you cook at home today?

Comments

[Lynnea]

looks good =) sometimes it's just fun to try cooking with what is available in cupboards and freezer, without making a trip to the grocery store.

[SK]

A friend of mine was raving about his slow cooker so I decided to try using ours... cooked a hunk of pork shoulder with rice wine, dark soy sauce, ginger, garlic, five-spice, and a cinnamon stick. Also stirfried some greens and reluctantly turned the oven on to bake some sweet potatoes that needed to be used up.

[Cathy]

It was too hot to cook; we had a plate of cheese, crackers, various lunchmeats and tomatoes and peppers from the yard...

[nhbilly]

Heck, salad and sandwich for me when its 90+ degrees.

[Kirk]

Hi Lynnea - Yes, it was a lot of fun.

That sounds good SK....

That's probably what I should have done Cathy. Luckily for us, not quite as hot here.

Hi Billy - Yeah, that's the direction I should have taken.

[janfrederick]

Nice scrimps. I'd imagine the sluggishness went away because you got your blood flowing a bit.

nhbilly was on the same page as me. Had some leftover steak, so: Steak/Mater/Cheddar pannini and some mixed greens. Will probably wok up some shrimp for tacos this evening.

[Two Foodies - One Journey]

What's your go to shop for kaffir lime leaves ? - We find them sometimes in asian markets like Lucky Seafood or Indian places but often these shops don't have them on regular basis. I tried freezing them but found that their flavors after freezing is a little bit different than fresh. Still looking for a place where they nearly always available.

[TFD]

You want to grow kaffir lime leaves? I can get seeds for you.

I made mien ga today. Didn't have glass noodles so I substituted Taiwanese noodles. The best meals are always the ones you scour stuff off your shelves.

Still have to send you some OC stuff.

[TFD]

How did you stir fry it so that the purple color of the eggplant still stands out? Mine becomes dull and brown.

[Kirk]

Hi Jan - That's probably the best idea on a hot day.

Hey TD-OJ - I've found that Minh Huong usually has them and often in little packets. This one was from Thuan Phat in a bigger tray. I usually try not to keep them for more than 4-6 weeks frozen, after that they really lose a lot. I've gotten them from World Foods as well.

Hi TFD - We don't use it enough to grow them. I think you need to use a higher temp when stir frying the eggplant. In a real restaurant you'd "oil blanch" the eggplant first to hold the color.

[Food detective]

They used to sell the plant at Lowes.

[Kirk]

Andersen's still has it on occasion TFD.

[kat]

looks great! give you props for cooking on a scorching day!

[Kirk]

Thanks Kat!