Spicy Roasted Eggplant with Tofu
Chitra Sharma, a resident of Alexandria, VA, lived in Thailand for 10 years before moving to the United States. While overseas, she learned how to convert many Thai dishes into purely vegetarian ones, which expanded her recipe repertoire tenfold. All the ingredients in this recipe can be found at any…
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Chitra Sharma, a resident of Alexandria, VA, lived in Thailand for 10 years before moving to the United States. While overseas, she learned how to convert many Thai dishes into purely vegetarian ones, which expanded her recipe repertoire tenfold. All the ingredients in this recipe can be found at any Asian grocery; however, if you canÂ’t find Thai basil, use Western basil. Serve this with fragrant Thai jasmine rice.
Ingredients
- 4 cilantro roots or 1/3 cup cilantro stems, chopped
- 2 large shallots, chopped
- 1 Tbs. brown sugar or palm sugar
- 4 large cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
- 1 to 2 small fresh red or green chiles, like Thai bird chilies, chopped, or to taste
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 4 medium Asian or Japanese eggplants
- 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 8 oz. firm tofu, cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, coarsely chopped, plus extra for garnish
Preparation
Put cilantro, shallots, brown sugar, garlic, lime juice, chiles and salt in food processor or blender, and blend into smooth paste.
Heat wok or medium-sized skillet over high heat. Add whole eggplants, and cook until skins begin to char, turning with tongs to blacken on all sides. Remove from heat, cool and slice on diagonal into 1-inch-thick slices.
Heat oil in same pan or wok over high heat. Add cilantro paste, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Add eggplant, and stir-fry 3 minutes more, or until just tender. Stir in tofu and basil leaves, and serve garnished with whole fresh basil leaves.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 130
- Carbohydrate Content 16 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 6 g
- Fiber Content 3 g
- Protein Content 6 g
- Saturated Fat Content 0 g
- Sodium Content 30 mg
- Sugar Content 9 g