EGGPLANT STIR-FRY WITH THAI BASIL (PAD MAKEUA YAO)
Serves: 3-4 Cooking Time: 25 minutes Do-ahead Tips: Make the sauce in advance and store in the fridge.
Vegetable oil for deep-frying, as needed
14 oz (396 g) Chinese or Japanese eggplants, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) cylinders, then quartered horizontally (see Note)
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
2-5 Thai chilies, finely chopped
9 oz (256 g) ground pork
1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar, granulated
½ cup red bell pepper, julienned
1 ½ cups (375 mL) Thai basil
For the sauce:
½ cup (125 mL) chicken stock, pork stock or water
2 tbsp (30 mL) fermented soybean paste (tao jiew, see Note)
1 tbsp (15 mL) oyster sauce
2 tsp (10 mL) soy sauce
2 tsp (10 mL) fish sauce
¼ tsp (1 mL) white pepper
For serving:
jasmine rice
1. Add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil in a wok or pot and bring it to 350 F (175 C) over medium-high heat. Add the eggplants, a small batch at a time, and fry for 20-30 seconds. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towel. Note: We are just par-cooking the eggplants, so they should still be quite firm at this point. Do not fry them any longer than 30 seconds as they can absorb a lot of oil if they become too soft.
2. Make the sauce by combining ¼ cup (60 mL) of the stock with all the other sauce ingredients.
3. Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of oil in a wok or a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and Thai chilies; stir until the garlic starts to brown. Add the ground pork and stir until the pork is broken apart and is about 60 per cent done.
4. Add the sauce mixture and sugar, then stir to cook the pork to 90 per cent — at this point the pork should be sitting in plenty of liquid; if it looks dry, add some or all of the remaining stock.
5. Add the eggplants and bell peppers; keep tossing until the eggplants are fully cooked but still hold their shape. Turn off the heat and fold in the Thai basil. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
6. To serve, transfer onto a deep plate, garnish with a sprig of Thai basil, and serve with jasmine rice.
Note: You want young eggplants for this dish because they can maintain a firmer texture when cooked.
Choose small eggplants that are firm when squeezed and have tight-looking skin.
When you cut open an eggplant, a sure sign of a young one is small, light-coloured seeds, or no visible seeds at all.
Instead of fermented soybean paste (tao jiew), you can substitute 1 tbsp (15 mL) of miso paste, loosened with some water to achieve a pourable consistency.