Spicy Eggplant In Plum Sauce With Cashew Nuts
This delicious recipe has the right balance of spicy chili, to sweetness to saltiness. This is a quick and easy dish to prepare. You can use any variety of eggplant, but using the long purple Japanese eggplant gives better results. If you are an eggplant lover, this recipe is a must. This recipe serves two people as a main course or as a side dish.
Equipment
- Large heavy based pot for frying
- Wok or medium sauté pan
Ingredients
- 1 Chinese eggplant cut into 1.5 – 2″ pieces
- 1/2 cup roasted whole unsalted cashew nuts
- 1-2 tsp garlic
- 1-2 tsp green onions chopped
- 1/4 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/4 yellow bell pepper chopped
- 1/4 green bell pepper chopped
- 1/4 medium yellow onion cut into large squares
- 2 green onions cut into 1″ pieces
- 4 dried red chilis
- 1-2 tsp sesame seeds
- 1-2 cups cooking oil not olive oil
Sauce
- 1.5 tbsp plum sauce
- 3/4 tsp honey
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp rice wine
- 1/2 tsp dark soy or vegetarian oyster sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Heat frying oil in pot to 350°F
- Mix all the ingredients to make the plum and set aside.
- In the wok, heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil over medium high heat. Add the dried chilies and sauté until they begin to change color and become a vibrant red. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Keep garlic and chilis moving in the wok to prevent them from burning.
- Add premixed sauce to the wok and bring to a hard rolling boil. Then reduce heat to medium heat and simmer.
- Add yellow onions, bell peppers and cashew nuts to the simmering sauce.
- In a deep fryer, add the eggplant and cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain with a strainer and add directly into the sauce.
- Stir well and continue to simmer for 2 minutes. Do not over cook.
- Finally, add green onions, stir well and remove from heat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to garnish and serve.
Notes
The Sauce
This base sauce can be used to create many different dishes. The addition of different aromatics as you cook the sauce like ginger, lemongrass, star anise etc. allows you to tailor it the way you want.
Nuts
Be sure to use unsalted cashew nut. If using raw cashew nuts, pan roast until lightly golden.
Nutrition
Serving: 2gCalories: 1148kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 118gSaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 279mgPotassium: 457mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 961IUVitamin C: 64mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
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