Deep-fried goodness

Japanese-style eggplant and mushrooms in spicy broth

Prep: 25 minutes Stand: 20 minutes Cook: 20 minutes Makes: 4 to 6 servings All of the items needed for this dish can be found in large supermarkets with Asian sections, or from online markets. medium purple eggplants, about 12 ounces each Salt ounce dried nameko or shiitake mushroom caps cups dashi broth or chicken broth, see note cup mirin (rice wine) or dry sherry tablespoons soy sauce tablespoon each: unsweetened rice wine vinegar, sugar teaspoon Asian chile paste with garlic (or crushed red pepper flakes), or to taste tablespoon potato starch (or 1 teaspoons cornstarch) dissolved in 2 tablespoons water Safflower, sunflower or expeller-pressed canola oil for frying ounces dried unsweetened mochi cakes, cut into small cubes, optional to 16 ounces firm tofu, drained, patted dry, cut into 1-inch cubes cup baby arugula leaves green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced cup cilantro leaves Trim ends off eggplants. Cut eggplants crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Salt the slices and let stand in a colander, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, put mushrooms into a small dish; add 1 cup hot water to cover. Set a small plate on top to keep the mushrooms submerged. Let soak until tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and cut them in half. Reserve the soaking liquid. Strain the mushroom soaking liquid into a small saucepan. Add the dashi broth, mirin, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and chile paste. Heat to a simmer. Cook until reduced a bit, about 10 minutes. Stir in the dissolved potato starch. Cook and stir until boiling and thickened. Add mushrooms. Remove from heat. Pour oil into a small, deep saucepan to a depth of 2 inches. Set the pan over medium heat. Put a deep-fry thermometer into the pan and monitor the heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees. Pat the eggplant dry and slip 2 or 3 slices gently into the oil. Fry, turning once, until golden and the center is fork tender, 2 to 2 minutes. Remove eggplant with a slotted spoon to a piece of paper toweling. Repeat to fry the rest of the eggplant in small batches, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain 350 degrees. If using the mochi, slip a few cubes into the hot oil and fry until they puff into white irregular mounds, about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper toweling. To serve, put 3 or 4 slices of eggplant into each serving bowl. Top with some of the tofu cubes and the fried mochi, if using. Reheat the broth to a simmer. Divide the hot broth and mushrooms over the eggplant. Top with equal portions of the arugula, green onions and cilantro leaves. Serve right away. You can make dashi from instant packets sold in the Asian section of supermarkets or online. I like to use 1 to 2 teaspoons dashi powder per cup of hot water. 192 calories, 12 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 11 g carbohydrates, 6 g sugar, 8 g protein, 371 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

ABEL URIBE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE; LISA SCHUMACHER/FOOD STYLING Chunky slices of fried eggplant and a crispy garnish of puffed fried mochi cake set off a boldly flavored soup.