Thai Garlic Shrimp and Green Eggplant

This is a recent favorite of the Missus. One day a couple of weeks ago I bought some of those golf ball sized green Thai eggplant. I thought we'd eat them raw with maybe a Thai Style Beef Salad, or something like that. The Missus on the other hand had a different idea....She wanted me to try and stir fry them with some shrimp, Thai style, in a sweet garlic type "sauce"....actually more of a coating as She didn't want these too wet. After making it a few times, I've finally got it down to the way the Missus enjoys it. It actually reminds me of those multi-part Chinese style stir-fries, which means it's the prep that really matters.

I found that this type of eggplant isn't the "oil sponge" that I'm used too. It really doesn't need much oil. It also stays fairly firm.

I use palm sugar for these, which, unless you know how to handle can be a pain. I first microwave the hard discs for about 20 seconds then grate it.

This looks like a lot of steps, but it is not.

Thai Garlic Shrimp and Eggplant:

For the Garlic - Palm Sugar mixture
4 Tb Palm Sugar
7-8 Cloves of Garlic minced (equal the amount of sugar)
1 Tb Fish sauce

- Combine grated palm sugar, garlic, and fish sauce - I actually grind up in a small food processor

For the eggplant
5-6 Thai EggplantSliced
2-3 Tb grapeseed oil
2 Tb Chili Paste
1 Tb Fish Sauce
1 Tb White Sugar
1 Tb Shaoxing
White Pepper

For the Shrimp
1/2 Pound Shrimp shelled and deveined
2 Tb grapeseed oil
4-8 Thai Chilies chopped
1 medium shallot minced
1 Tb Fish Sauce
3 kaffir lime leaves sliced in a thin chiffonade
1/3 cup cilantro leaves roughly chopped
3 Tb scallions sliced - green parts only

- Heat wok until smoking
- Add grapeseed oil for eggplant, quickly add chili paste, and stir till fragrant
- Add eggplant and stir fry
- Add Shaoxing, white pepper, sugar, and stir fry until eggplant is well coated
- When eggplant softens slightly add fish sauce.
- When eggplant is heated through remove to a plate and wipe down wok and bring back to temp

- Add grapeseed oil for shrimp.
- When the oil starts to shimmer add Thai Chilies, shallot, and kaffir lime leaf.
- Stir fry until fragrant
- Add shrimp and stir fry
- Add fish sauce.
- When shrimp starts turning translucent add the Garlic-Palm Sugar mixture and stir fry until it bubbles. Add eggplant back ot the wok.
- When shrimp is  cooked through remove from heat and add all but 1-2 Tb of cilantro and all of the scallions and combine

- Top with the rest of the cilantro when serving

We served the shrimp on some lettuce from our garden.
And lots of rice of course

Comments

[Christine]

Hi Kirk - longtime reader, firsttime commenter. Where are you getting the Thai eggplants? My husband absolutely loves them in green curry, but I haven't been able to find them in any markets around here easily. (To be fair, I've only looked in 99 Ranch and H Mart twice...)

Thanks. :)

[Kirk]

Hi Christine - The first batch was from World Foods:

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2006/02/world_foods_sup.html

The second from the Linda Vista Farmer's Market - there's one Asian Vegetable stand that had it:

http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2011/08/scenes-from-the-linda-vista-farmers-market.html

Which takes place on...well, Thursdays, which is today!

Thanks so much for reading and taking the time out to comment. Please let me know if I can be of any other assistance!

[TFD]

Wow, haven't seen anyone stir fried it before.

[Kirk]

I've had these a couple of times in curries, but it's not very common TFD.

[Carol]

Looks delicious. I've been cooking more eggplants lately so this is great timing. I'll have to see if I can find those eggplants. Sounds interesting.

What do you think about using some sesame oil maltodextrin on it?

[Kirk]

I think it would be fine. You should try dipping cucumbers in the sesame salt powder!