On Dec 29, 11:55 pm, Serene Vannoy > wrote:
> I'm doing a vegan-challenge thing in January, partly as a fun thing to
> do with some of my veg friends, and partly as a palate cleanser after a
> month of eating very meat-centrically. Three weeks eating only
> plant-based foods (beans, grains, vegetables, fruits, and so on -- no
> meat, fish, eggs, or dairy). It took me a while to make a menu I was
> happy with, but it's up at my cooking blog (http://serenecooking.livejournal.com/). I welcome suggestions that
> aren't of the "You dumbass; eat meat!" variety.
Sometimes people equate veg with bland, so here's one I've posted
before that is anything but. As usually made it includes ground pork;
just omit that for your purposes, the dish will still be good.
Spicy Eggplant 'Yuxiang'
3 or 4 Japanese(Chinese) eggplants -- one pound or a little more.
Remove
stem, do not peel. Cut lengthwise into quarters, then across into
about 1"
pieces.
1/4 lb. ground pork. Mix with 1 TB sherry and 1 tsp. cornstarch, set
aside. [omit this if necessary]
3 quarter-sized slices fresh ginger root, minced.
4 medium garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped. [Or more--this
dish
can take all the garlic you want. I used six cloves, but we weren't
going
out later.]
4 scallions, including about half the green part, cleaned, shredded
and cut
in lengths of about 1".
1 TB Sichuan chili bean paste. [Note: made of yellow bean paste,
chilis,
garlic and spices, this is not identical with 'chili sauce' or 'garlic
chili sauce'. But if you can't find it, substitute. Ken Hom suggests
Satay sauce, a SE Asian version.]
optional: 1 or 2 TB Sichuan preserved vegetable
1 tsp, or 3, or to taste, crushed dried red chili flakes. [The dish
is
supposed to be hot. Don't worry, they won't hide the other flavors.]
1 TB Chinese black vinegar. [Cider vinegar can be substituted, but
the
black vinegar, aka Chinkiang vinegar, is wonderful. I used 2 TB.]
1 tsp sugar.
2 TB soy sauce.
1/2 to 1 cup chicken stock or water.
1 tsp sesame oil
Cooking
Heat wok or heavy pan on high heat. When hot, add 2 to 3 TB peanut
oil,
then the eggplant. Stir fry on medium-high for five or six minutes
until
eggplant is somewhat darkened and has begun to soften. It will first
absorb the oil, then release it. Remove the eggplant.
Add 1 TB oil to wok, if necessary. Turn heat up to high. Add the
garlic
and ginger and half the scallions, stir 30 seconds or so until
fragrant,
then add the pork. Stir fry until it's brown and crumbly. Add the
rest
of the ingredients except the sesame oil, give a couple of stirs, add
back
the eggplant and the broth or water, stir, cover and simmer for about
five
minutes. You want the eggplant well cooked and soft. Uncover, turn
the
heat back up, push everything back from the center to make a well for
the
liquid. Add the sesame oil and some cornstarch slurry, stir to
thicken.
[You have to judge how much based on how much liquid there is at this
point. About 2 tsp cornstarch in 1 TB cold water, maybe. Or just use
a
scant half cup of broth/water in the first place and don't thicken
it.]
Serve immediately.
[Note for the fat-conscious. This dish, like many from Sichuan, may
strike
the contemporary American palate as too oily. If this is a concern,
Ken
Hom suggests baking the eggplant on a baking tray at 350F for 15
minutes.
Cool, then cut up. Then omit the step of frying them in oil.
Personally,
I like the richness of the oil. You can also pour off the fat
rendered by
the pork before adding the rest of the ingredients. Or, you can omit
the
pork entirely.]