I've found that Chinese eggplants have more flavor than the American (globe) variety but with a good dose of sambal, this simple dish will hit the spot no matter what type you use.
Course
Main Dish
Cuisine
Asian
Prep Time5minutes
Cook Time15minutes
Total Time20minutes
Servings2-3
AuthorLemons & Anchovies
Ingredients
2Chinese eggplantscut lengthwise in 2 inch pieces (mine were fairly large)
1heaping tablespoon sambal oelek
1/4cupolive oil and/or cooking spray
3clovesgarliccrushed
1tablespoonsoy sauce
red riceabout 2 cups cooked for 2-3 people
**For the condiment***
1//4cupof vinegar
1clovegarliccrushed
Splash of soy sauce
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and add the eggplant pieces. They will absorb a lot of oil. Cook them, stirring occasionally until the sides are slightly caramelized. You can also spray the eggplants with cooking spray to aid in the browning process instead of adding even more oil. Add 2 cloves of garlic, sambal and the soy sauce and cook for just a minute longer. This should take no more than 5-6 minutes.
Take the eggplants out of the skillet, set aside and cook the rice.
Add a little more oil to the skillet, then the last clove of crushed garlic. Cook for 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant and add the rice. Stir fry for about 3-4 minutes, add a splash of soy sauce, stir into the rice and turn off the heat.
To prepare the condiment, combine all the ingredients together in a bowl. Arrange the rice and eggplant on a plate and drizzle with a teaspoon or two of the vinegar dipping sauce. Serve.