Spicy Chinese Eggplant Stir Fry Recipe
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
35 minutes
Servings:
4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 16 ounces super firm tofu
  • 4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
  • ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder), divided
  • 1 long Chinese eggplant
  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • 1 red pepper
  • 2 shallots
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 serrano pepper or Thai chili
  • 1-inch ginger root
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Directions
  1. Remove the tofu from the package and dry it with a paper towel or a tea towel. Cut it into cubes and put it in a Ziploc or reusable silicone bag. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and one tablespoon soy sauce. Shake the bag to coat the tofu, then add 2 teaspoons cornstarch and shake again.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a non-stick frying pan, bring the heat to medium, and drop in the tofu. Let it cook undisturbed for 10 minutes, then flip each cube over and cook for 10 more minutes. (Alternatively, you can cook the tofu in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 400 F) Remove it from the pan.
  3. Chop the eggplant and asparagus. Slice the red pepper. Dice the shallots, garlic, and pepper, and grate the ginger.
  4. Add another tablespoon oil to the pan you cooked the tofu in then add the shallots, garlic, and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes before adding the eggplant, asparagus, red pepper, and ginger. Sauté on medium for 10 minutes.
  5. While that's cooking, combine ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, sesame oil, sriracha, and ground ginger in a small bowl. Dissolve the remaining cornstarch in a small amount of hot water, then add it to the bowl,
  6. When the vegetables are done, add the tofu and sauce to the pan. Mix well. The spicy Chinese eggplant stir fry is ready to serve.