This flavor-packed dish is a satisfying way to enjoy eggplant. I love the contrast between vegetables that are cooked for shorter and longer amounts of time, leading to great color and textural variety in the dish. The key is to have the eggplant soft, but not to the point that it decomposes, while the snow peas are still crispy and bright green. Enjoy this substantive dish as a warm salad on its own, or served with brown rice.
Stir Fried Eggplant With Snow Peas
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Homemade Levity
Recipe type: Main Dish
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 t fresh ginger, minced
- ½ c yellow onion, diced
- 1 large purple eggplant, diced in 1 inch cubes (about 6 cups)
- ½ t crushed red pepper flakes
- pinch of salt
Sauce
- 2 t canola oil
- 3 T soy sauce
- 1 T maple syrup
- 1 T rice vinegar
- 3 t lime juice
- ½ t sesame oil
- 2 T water
- 1 t cornstarch
- 1½ c snow peas, ends trimmed, strings removed
- ¼ c scallions, cut in 1-inch slices
- garnish: sesame seeds, fresh basil or cilantro, if you like
Instructions
- In a large saute pan, heat canola oil. Add garlic and ginger and cook over medium heat about two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add eggplant, crushed red pepper and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Saute about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add ½ cup of water to the pan and cover, letting the eggplant steam an additional 10-12 minutes. While the eggplant continues to cook, combine soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil and water in a small bowl. Stir in cornstarch and set aside.
- Remove cover from the eggplant and check to see that eggplant cubes are soft and cooked through. Stir in soy sauce mixture and cook about 1minute. Add snow peas and scallions and cook another two minutes, or until snow peas are bright green and softened, but still crunchy. Remove from heat.
- Serve garnished with sesame seeds or chopped fresh basil or cilantro, if you like.
Johanna says
I love this recipe. I was a bit unsure about cooking the eggplant this way but the combination of textures is really great. As well as the egg plant, I use whatever other veges I have to hand – tonight it was broccoli, red capsicum and green beans, all served on buckwheat noodles. I think there will be lunch-envy among my colleagues at work tomorrow as I dig in to my leftovers.
Sara says
Thank you very much, Johanna! I’m so glad you liked it. I think the addition of other veggies and buckwheat noodles is a perfect idea and no doubt there will be lunch-envy! 🙂
ryan says
This was not my cup of tea. The balance of flavors was all wrong. It comes out very sour with a touch to much salt. This could be refined but it is not worth the efforts for mushy egg plant. Definatly won’t be repeating.
Sara says
Aw, I’m bummed you didn’t enjoy the recipe as it’s one of my favorite simple eggplant recipes. Maybe there’s a way to tweak it to your liking?